I hope you had a peaceful week. The colder days gave me a chance to relax and play games for hours with Kira and I used the warmer days to put electric wiring into the cabin that is being built by the Amish in Heuvelton. It is a long drive and as I got there with the van full of outlets, screwdrivers, drills, a ladder, lunch..... I realized that I forgot the 250' wire. We laid out all the outlets and lights and after lunch I drove home and back and started the wiring. I did not get done and went back the next warmer day on Friday and now it is all done. I had to call my brother in Germany for laying out wiring for the lights, good to have an electrician in the family.
Anyways, that were two warm days away from the farm. On Saturday I harvested, washed and bagged 380lb of parsnips, some of them 24"long. And I can feel it today. There are still two partial rows left. We also could harvest another 150'x12' of sunchokes. I only got 5800 garlic planted, about half of the usual. If I get more in I will, if not not so bad, since sales slowed way down this year. We did not get it all harvested in the one July weekend, so may it was more than we need.
I got the high-tunnel plastic rolled up and fastened to the peak. Now we don't worry about snow load or ice and rain and snow can hydrate the soil. This is always a big job and I am glad it is done.
We still have most of the veggies in the walk in cooler in the barn. When it gets so cold that the cooler freezes, we will move them to the Main house basement. Usually around the end of November, but not yet.
The cows are being cows and we put hay outside to get them to go outside during the day. They must have found all the burdock plants in the fields and got stuck with so many burrs, it is slowing down now. Kira patiently brushes them out. If you want to see cow pictures, you can see some on Instagram:carol_thecow
Squash Soup for 4 people 2 Onions 1 celeriac salt, pepper, nutmeg
2 cloves Garlic 2 winter squashes or 2-3lbs
Oil to cover pot bottom 1 parsnip
Cover bottom of soup pot with oil and fry onions. Add Garlic. Add water 2quarts.
Cut a parsnip in 1/2'” pieces and add.
Peel and cut a celeriac in ½” pieces and add.
Delicata (yellow green striped) and butternut (tan, pear shaped) don’t need to be peeled; Buttercup (green turban shape) and others need to be peeled.
Cut winter Squash into 1” pieces and add water to cover all veggies
Spices; add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
(If you want to add protein, you can add ½ cup-1 cup of red small lentils and ¾-3cups of water.)
Cook 40 minutes or more and blend with a blender or puree stick or potato masher.
Add more salt, pepper or nutmeg if needed.
If you have, you can add fresh parsley.
Cook 1 quart of rice in 2 quarts of water to go with it
Carrot cookies
1c. butter 1tsp. vanilla
¾ c. sugar 2 1/4 c. flour
1 ½ c. grated raw carrots ½ tsp.salt
Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in carrots, egg and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Frost or glaze if desired.
be well, peace Dulli