(Strawberries from our 2009 crop)

Sunday evening meant inspection of the strawberry patch to determine when sales would begin. There were strawberries almost ripe for picking so it was determined that we would start selling the strawberries on Thursday, June 3.

Along with the strawberries we will have radishes and sometime next week will have snow peas available for sale. Remember we also have sugar snap peas coming but they are not ready yet.

Since it is so warm, we went down to the farm to open the high tunnel. The first photo shows a view of the high tunnel with the sides open. See the plants inside? They look great! The second photo gives you a better view of the growth inside the tunnel. We took off the low tunnel that you saw in the pictures last week.

Here is a look at the pea field.

The beans don’t look like much right now but just wait. This warm weather should be encouraging growth.

Because of the freeze on Mother’s Day weekend, the potatoes were set back a bit. They sure look good now. The bags you see in the photo were used to mark the rows; we don’t need them anymore but haven’t taken them out yet.

Have a guess what this might be? A tent city perhaps? Actually each one of those tents houses a giant pumpkin plant. We used agribon fabric over hoops to make the tent. This will protect the pumpkin plant from all sorts of things and give them a good headstart. Hopefully we will get some giants out of these plants. Hopefully one will set a new record for us.

That’s all for now; check back next week for our latest photo tour.

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.

Okay, it’s not really a stroll since we took the truck but we did get out and walk around!  Here are some pictures of how things look at the farm.

A view of the tomatoes in the high tunnel.  We planted them earlier than we have in the past,  so we added the extra protection of the low tunnels in case it frosted (which it did with no ill effects inside the high tunnel.) Below is a look inside the low tunnel – you can see the tomatoes growing under the fabric.

And look at the next photo. Some blossoms appear on the plants! I cannot wait for the taste of a fresh tomato. We go many months with any slicing tomatoes since we don’t buy any from the grocery store. I would love a nice tomato sandwich right about now.

The following picture shows a low tunnel with more tomatoes, a raised bed with radishes and part of the strawberry field behind the radishes.

After leaving the high tunnel, we went to check on the peas. Here is a view of the field. The plants look so nice and isn’t that a beautiful sky?

Finally here are a few photos of the electric fence we have surrounding most of the fields. The first picture is a long view of the fence, followed by one of the gates we use and our warning signs.

Hope you enjoyed our little tour! I plan on doing this most Sundays but you know how that goes. The best laid plans ……

(No, today is not Friday, it is Sunday. Despite the post’s title, I am not posting this on a Friday, although that was my intention. From now on, I hope to post every Friday about one of our crops.)

(a look at our pea patch in 2009)

Peas are one of my favorite vegetables. However, while growing up, I never knew there were any other kinds of peas other than the ones that come in a can from the grocery store. Lucky for me, I learned that there are different kinds of peas, all delicious.

One of the other things I remember from childhood was my mother’s ongoing battle with my brother to get him to eat his peas. I never understood what he didn’t like about them but then he probably never understood why I don”t like onions. So I guess we’re even.

ABOUT: Peas are what is known as a cool weather crop. They love the cool spring weather and absolutely detest the warm summer weather. So we usually have peas for sale during the month of June, along with our strawberries.

Peas are a member of the legume family. There are three different types of peas:  garden peas (English peas), snap peas and snow peas. We grow two types of peas: snow peas and sugar snap peas. Snow peas have a flat edible pod and are picked when the seeds inside the pod are barely formed. Sugar snap peas have an edible round pod with small seeds inside.

VARIETIES WE GROW:

Sugar snap peas – Cascadia

Snow peas – Oregon Giant

FREEZING:

We froze several quarts of peas last year and it was well worth it come those cold winter days when you crave vegetables. The sugar snap peas seemed to freeze better for us. We tried the snow peas and the results were disappointing.

Instructions for freezing:

1. First, wash and trim the pea pods.
2. Set out a large bowl with either ice water or really cold tap water. This will be used to stop the cooking process before freezing the peas. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Blanching no more than one pound of peas at a time, drop peas into boiling water and immediately cover with a tight fitting lid. Leave the peas in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes.
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peas to the ice water bath and soak for approximately 5 minutes. If you are using tap water without ice, change the water several times to help cool the peas.
4. Remove from water and drain.
5. We use plastic quart freezer bags to store the peas. Fill the bag with peas and try to remove as much air as possible. Freeze for up to one year at 32°F or below.
6. Both the blanching water and the ice water bath can be reused as you work your way through your vegetables.
   

RECIPES:

One of our favorite recipes is one I discovered last year. In fact, it was chosen by Rebekah as her birthday meal which tells you how much it is liked around here. Give it a try – Magicland Farms Chicken and Snow Pea Skillet. Although the recipe calls for snow peas, sugar snap peas work just as well.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE:

• Green peas are very low in calories – only 41 calories per cup.
• Green peas are rich in dietary fiber.
• Green peas slow down the appearance of glucose in the blood and thus, help keep the energy levels steady.
• Peas are a  good source of protein, vitamin A, niacin, vitamin B-6, folate, phosphorus and copper.
• They are a very good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, thiamin and manganese.

This past week, we have been harvesting both snow peas and garlic scapes. We wanted to try both of them so I came up with the following recipe – a cross between a stir fry and cooking in the skillet. A wok is not among the many kitchen pots and pans I have so I modified a stir fry recipe. The dish got rave reviews from the crew and hopefully y’all will enjoy it as much as we did.

Magicland Farms’ Chicken and Snow Pea Skillet

Serves 8

3 lbs cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1″ cubes
2 lbs garlic scapes (cleaned and chopped into 2″ lengths)
1 1/2 pounds snow peas (cleaned)
4 T olive oil
2 1/2 cups chicken broth 0r 2 1/2 cups boiling water combined with 3 chicken bouillon cubes

Heat olive oil in skillet. When hot, add garlic scapes. Cook about 3-4 minutes stirring constantly or until you can smell their garlic scent. Add the snow peas and cook for another 3-4 minutes, again stirring the vegetables. Add chicken cubes to mixture, again cooking for about 3-4 mintues to heat up chicken. Then add chicken broth. Simmer until broth cooks down (don’t let broth totally disappear).

Served over cooked rice.

Notes:
This recipe can be adjusted to your tastes by adding a bit of soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, or substituting wine for the broth.

Also you can add whatever vegetables you currently have available: beans, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.

1 finely chopped bulb of garlic can be substituted for the scapes. We love garlic and can’t have too much in our food but if you are not a fan, feel free to adjust amounts down.

The crew has been busy picking today despite the hot weather (which we are grateful for as it really helps the crops).

We still have strawberries for sale, this will be the last week for that. We have now added snow peas and radishes. Sugar snap peas are coming.

In the near future (hopefully) we will be having our famous green beans, potatoes and zucchini.

Happy eating!

Despite the rain today, the crew managed to get some strawberries picked, along with garlic scapes. The strawberries have been wonderful and we hope to be picking them for the next several days.

Hopefully we will have peas for sale next week. We have both snow peas and sugar snap peas planted and hope to have a nice crop of each.

I found this story in the Phildelphia Citypaper online (story here). The author explains why buying your produce from your local farmers is the best choice you can make which almost goes without saying. But the reason I link this article is her list of some early produce and its nutritional benefits for the consumer. Here at Magicland Farms, we will soon be having strawberries and peas available for sale. Below are her comments on those two crops:

Peas

With 134 calories in a whole cup of peas, these seasonal beauties are delicious examples of why we eat veggies. A great source of calcium (43% of your daily requirements!), potassium, magnesium and phosphorus, fresh peas contribute fiber to our diets, folic acid for strong blood and immune-boosting vitamins A, C and K for all you antioxidant lovers out there.

Strawberries

With a harvest season that can seem like just minutes, when you see local strawberries at a farm market, grab them – especially if they are not sprayed or are organic! Their sweet-tart flavor is just one bit of their allure. With only 49 calories in a cup, these vitamin C-rich berries give us all the immune-boosting power we need, in a delicious way. A great source of fiber, magnesium and potassium, strawberries go a long way towards helping us feel balanced. And once you have tried locally grown, you’ll understand: they are worlds away from the flat-tasting, out of season, ripened-under-grow-lights versions you find at the supermarket.

So be sure to check back for the announcement of the start of the strawberry/pea harvest. Come on out and get some of the goodies for yourself; you won’t be sorry.