This past week or so has seen some good news and bad news, The worst news was the frost that occurred over Mother’s Day weekend. Freeze warnings were issued and of course, because everything got an early start this year, lots of stuff was at risk. Some fruits and vegetables were affected; see the details below.

We have also been busy planting, plowing and planning this year’s planting scheme for the farm. So let’s just cut to the chase and tell you the good, the bad and the just plain ugly news from Magicland Farms.

The Good

• The strawberries survived the frost on Mother’s Day weekend due to the use of sprinklers. So it looks promising that we will have a strawberry crop this year.
• The peas, onions and garlic also survived the frost due to the fact that these crops are cold hardy. They can take a lot of cold and still keep on going.
• The tomatoes in the high tunnel sustained no damage.
• Most of the sweet corn plantings are okay because the early plantings were small and the growing point was still beneath the soil.
• The green beans were just coming up so they sustained no damage. Tom was amazed the other day with how well they are growing. At the rate they are going, it looks like a super early bean year for us.
• We have planted three different varieties of sweet potatoes: Beauregard, Carolina Ruby and Vardaman.  Here is a photo of our sweet potato planting: The row at the right is a row of tomatoes; the rows to the left are the sweet potatoes.

The Bad

• The potatoes sustained some minor damage. On Sunday, Tom and I went to look at things at the farm and you could see new green growth coming from the potatoes so while they might have suffered a setback, the plants are starting to make a comeback.
• The tomato plants we had in the low tunnels out in the field were about half damaged. Interestingly, the side of the low tunnel that received some of the sprinkler water meant for the strawberries survived; the side that didn’t was a loss. Those tomatoes that died have been replaced with new transplants.

The Ugly

• The pawpaws sustained heavy damage from the frost.
• The apples sustained moderate to heavy damage depending on the variety and the location in the orchard.
• Tom looked at the peaches the other day and thinks that there might be moderate damage to the crop. However, we should still have some peaches.

Overall things are looking good. We all wish the frost hadn’t happened but we know that everything happens for a reason. Planting is continuing, we still have lots more to go. Keep on checking back for updates. You can see some more photos at my previous post: Sunday Stroll Around The Farm.

Broccoli Cheddar Buns

There are lots of books out there right now about making healthy bread for your family. Our daughter, Rebekah, made some Broccoli and Cheddar Buns out of this book: Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients.  Boy were they good! Of course this family loves yeast bread, broccoli and cheese so how could we not like them?

Broccoli and Cheddar Buns

(makes 3 batches of 8 buns)

Ingredients:

15 ounces (about 5 cups) raw broccoli florets

1 1/2 cups water for cooking the broccoli

3 cups whole wheat flour

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast or 2 packages

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/4 tablespoon vital wheat glutin

1 3/4 cups lukewarm water

Neutral flavored oil for greasing muffin tin.

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (1 cup per batch of 8 buns)

1. Cooking the broccoli: In a medium-size saucepan, bring water to a boil, add the broccoli, and cook on medium-high heat, with the lid on, for 3 to 4 minutes. It is very important not to overcook the broccoli or it will taste bitter. It should be bright green. Remove from the stove and place the broccoli and the cooking water into a blender to puree. Puree as finely as you can, but don’t expect it to be perfectly smooth. This will yield 3 cups of broccoli puree. Set aside to cool slightly.

2. Mixing and storing the dough: Whisk together the flour, yeast, salt, and vital wheat gluten in a 5 quart bowl, or in a lidded (not airtight) food container.

3. Add the 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water and broccoli puree and mix without kneading, using a spoon or a heavy-duty stand mixer with paddle. You might need to use wet hands to get the last bit of flour to incorporate if you’re not using a machine.

4. Cover (not airtight) and allow the dough to rest at room temperature until it rises and collapses, approximately 2 hours.

5. The dough can be used immediately after its initial rise, although it is easier to handle when it is cold. Refrigerate it in a non-airtight lidded container  and use over the next 7 days.

6. On baking day, grease a muffin pan. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1 1/2 pound (cantaloupe size) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a loose ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter turn as you go.

7. To form the rolls, divide the ball into 8 roughly equal portions (each about the size of a plum). Cut each of the pieces into 4 smaller pieces. Shape each one into a smooth ball. Put the 4 rounds together to form the clover leaf and place in the cup of a muffin pan. Allow to rest, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for 40 minutes (20 minutes if you are using unrefrigerated dough).

8. Thirty minutes before baking time, preheat the over to 450 degrees F, with a baking stone placed on the middle rack. Place an empty metal broiler tray on any other rack that won’t interfere with the rising buns.

9. Just before baking, sprinkle the buns with the cheddar cheese, being careful not to get in on the pan.

10. Slide the muffin tin directly onto the hot stone. Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray and quickly close the oven door. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until richly browned and firm. The cheese will be melted and a bit caramelized.

11. Remove the buns from the pan and allow them to cool slightly before serving.

The buns were absolutely delicious and I plan on making them again.  Hope you enjoy them. To see what Rebekah had to say about them, visit her notes about this recipe at Sabbath Supper.

(Once again, it isn’t Friday but at least I am quicker than I was last week!)

A shot of broccoli from our 2009 crop

I don’t ever remember having broccoli as a child; I first encountered broccoli in my college dorm dining room. Every Saturday night was a steak dinner night with different sides every week. One week we had broccoli in a side salad and to my surprise, after surveying this strange vegetable, I found it to be quite tasty.

ABOUT: Originating in the Mediterranean countries especially Italy, broccoli is a member of the cabbage (or cole) family. Broccoli is another cool-weather crop (like peas) that does not like  hot summer weather. This vegetable has been grown in the United States since colonial times, but achieved popularity in the years prior to World War II when grown widely by Italian immigrants.

VARIETIES WE GROW:

Diplomat – a late summer/fall broccoli

Packman – an early broccoli

YIELDS: 1 pound of broccoli yields 6 cups raw, trimmed pieces (florets and stems) which is the equivalent of 4 to 6 servings.

2  to 3 pounds broccoli will yield about 2 pints frozen broccoli.

FREEZING:

Wash broccoli. Remove leaves and woody portions. Split lengthwise so florets are not more than 1 ½ inches across. Blanch 3 minutes in boiling water or steam for 5 minutes. Cool promptly in cold water and drain.
Pack into airtight freezer containers (we use freezer bags and squeeze excess air out), leaving no head space. Seal, label, date and freeze. Use frozen broccoli within 8 to 12 months for best quality

HOW TO PREPARE:

Broccoli can be steamed, stir fried or eaten raw. Add a little lemon juice to lightly steamed broccoli. It is delicious in salads or with your favorite cheese sauce.

RECIPES:

Look for a great recipe coming up on Tempting Tuesday – May 11. Think yeast bread!

NUTRITIONAL VALUE:

• Broccoli is an excellent source of Vitamins A and C, potassium, folate, and fiber. Broccoli has more Vitamin C than some citrus fruits.
• Need more calcium in your diet? Broccoli is a great source of calcium.
• It is also low in calories with a one cup serving of cooked broccoli having 45 calories.