July 18, 2018

We might think we are nurturing our garden, but of course it's our garden that is really nurturing us. - Jenny Uglow

When we came up for air after being buried in strawberries for a month, we saw that lots had been happening.

The gardens are looking good with lots of lovely greens, garlic scapes and green garlic, onions, and new potatoes.

Norman, the siding installer, has the barnwood skirting up on the new buildings and is in the home stretch at the entrance to the new store.

Brett of Purewood Design is hanging barnwood doors, installing the wainscoting, and placing baseboards in the new store.

And the landscapers have shown us what they plan for around the yard beginning in August.

It's all coming together and looking marvelous.

The guys have finished two mobile units for pasturing a few broiler chickens, which we'll receive next week. James and Martin want to work out the kinks before we do the big batch of broilers on pasture next year.

Martin has even started a mobile unit for the turkeys. Pastured poultry at its best.

Don't you just love this time of year with all the fresh garden goodies!

Martin brought in a huge Romaine lettuce that weighed 2 pounds! Still tender and sweet. The other heads of Romaine and Leaf Lettuces aren't far behind in size.

The Mixed Greens are a real treat for salad lovers. Enjoy a bit of zing with Arugula, a burst of flavor with Endive, and a whole lot of healthiness with Dandelion Greens.

Swiss Chard and Kale are so good in many ways – saut�ed with garlic and lemon, tossed in salads, wilted with shallots and vinegar, stirred into pasta or chickpeas, and grilled with spicy garlic oil. Yum!

Here comes Fennel with its feathery tops, delicious and versatile. Wonderful mixed with crunchy apples and celery or sweet oranges in a salad. A nice steamed side dish with pastas, chicken, or fish.

The Zucchinis are starting to grow, and you know what that means. If you're caught napping, you'll have giant Siesta zukes to deal with.

Green Garlic and baby Onions – can't do without either of these.

The Herbs are at their prime. Basil for pesto, Mint for your Middle East cuisine, Rosemary, Sage, and Chives for a splash of flavor.

And "the pi�ce de r�sistance" – New Potatoes!

Organic BC Cherries, Blueberries, and Apricots are here. Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, and Pears to follow.

We can order cases for you but won't know the prices until the list comes from our supplier. Let us know what you would like, and we can get the price to you when it is available.

Oso Negro Coffee comes from a small company in Nelson, BC. It was started over 20 years ago as a hobby by one of the owners who cared about his coffee. And that care is still there in the quality of the roast and the freshness of the coffee.

That freshness is maintained in the product we carry because we order in small batches, which are roasted the day they are sent to us.

As Jeannie says, "You can tell in the taste that Oso Negro cares about their coffee."

Iced Mocha

1 � cup strong hot brewed coffee
Handful or so crushed ice
3 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
Lightly sweetened whipped cream
1 � Tbsp chocolate syrup
1 small piece semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
1 cup ice-cold milk
� tsp vanilla

Combine the hot coffee and brown sugar in a bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the chocolate syrup. Cool to room temperature, then chill until ice cold.

Combine the chilled coffee, milk, and vanilla; stir to blend. Divide between 2 serving glasses, adding a small handful of crushed ice to each. Top each glass with whipped cream then grate a little chocolate over each one.
Makes 2 servings.

Lamb Chops- Sale $14.99/lb Reg. $16.89/lb

Boneless Chicken Breast- Sale $14.79/lb Reg. $15.99/lb (See Recipe Box)

Beef Smokies- Sale $11.99/lb Reg. $12.99/lb

Extra Large Eggs- Sale 3 dozen for $18 Reg. $6.75/dozen

Harvest Haven Packaged Greens- Sale 3 pkgs for $10.00 Reg. $4.00 each

Dried Navy Beans, 400 g- Sale 2 packages for $5.00 Reg. 3 for $10.00 (See Recipe Box)

Mapleton's Vanilla and Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, 475 mL- Sale $8.99 Reg. $9.99 (See Recipe Box)

Prana Machu Pichu Nuts and Fruit Mix, 150 g- Sale $5.99 Reg. $6.99

Please note, all ingredients in our recipes are organic.

Aunt Marilyn's Baked Beans

2 cups navy beans
1/4 cup mild molasses
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp prepared mustard
Pinch black pepper
1 medium Harvest Haven onion, sliced
Boiling water or hot bean liquid

Soak beans overnight in 6 cups cold water.

Simmer beans in water for 1� to 2 hours or until tender. Drain, saving liquid.

Put onion slices in bottom of bean pot or roaster. Add beans.

Combine seasonings with 1� cup hot bean liquid or water; pour over beans, adding more water to cover them.

Bake beans very slowly (250° F) for 5 to 7 hours. Remove cover during last 1/2 hour to brown beans.
Add boiling water as required during baking to keep beans covered with liquid.

Honey Mustard Chicken Salad

1/3 cup Harvest Haven honey
3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons smooth and mild Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 tablespoons Apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon minced Harvest Haven garlic
Salt to season
2 Harvest Haven Boneless chicken breasts

1/4 cup diced Harvest Haven beef bacon, cooked and diced
4 hard boiled Harvest Haven eggs, sliced
4 cups Harvest Haven greens
1 cup sliced grape or cherry tomatoes
1 large avocado, pitted and sliced
1/4 cup corn kernels
1/4 of a red onion, sliced

Whisk dressing ingredients together to combine. Pour half the marinade into a shallow dish to marinade the chicken fillets for two hours if time allows. Refrigerate the reserved untouched marinade to use as a dressing.

Barbeque chicken breast. Once chicken is cooked, set aside and allow to rest.

Slice chicken into strips and prepare salad with leaves, tomatoes, avocado slices, egg slices, corn, onion strips and chicken.

Whisk 2 tablespoons of water into the remaining untouched marinade / dressing and drizzle over the salad. Sprinkle the bacon over the top and season with a little extra salt and cracked pepper.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons butter, room temperature
3/4 cups brown sugar packed
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 Harvest Haven egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
Mapleton's Vanilla and Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat on medium speed the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about four minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl when necessary. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat until combined, 20 to 30 seconds.

With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the dough. Careful not to over beat. With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips by hand.

Scoop about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough, shape into a ball, and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat placing each ball of cookie dough about 1- to 2-inches apart. Bake for about 12 minutes or until the edges start to turn brown. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Transfer to the freezer for 20-30 minutes.

Take one cookie and place a scoop of ice cream (about 1/4 cup) on the flat side of the cookie. Top with flat side of second cookie to make a sandwich.

Serve immediately or wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze.

Violet

Cats and Flats

One more strawberry story.

Last week, Victor and I had to make an early morning run to Calgary with a load of strawberries in baskets, boxes, and flats for several customers.

Arriving at the farm, we found everyone scrambling because one of the orders had been misunderstood. Instead of 12 – 1 lb baskets of strawberries as prepared, in rereading the order, it was clarified that it was for 12 boxes of 8 – 1 lb baskets for a total of 96 baskets of berries. Picking and packaging was in high gear!

Examining the number of boxes and flats we had to fit into the van, it was determined that the back seats had to be removed and anything extraneous was to be left behind or stuffed around the passenger's feet.

Organizing our expedition required piling some of the boxes AND our lunch in the front seats. All the doors were wide open to accommodate loading of the orders.

"Move out of the way, Harriett. You're no help here."

"Shoo, Violet! Stay out of the store."

Here's the scene. There's half a dozen of us scrambling around with berries, boxes, flats, groceries, invoices, lists, and what not. Harriett is wanting to help or just be noticed. Violet is trying to get into the store to snoop around for a snack. And a bit of bedlam is everywhere as we sort through the orders to be sure we haven't missed anything.

Suddenly, I see Violet running away from the van with something in her mouth. Focus.

"It's a bag with Victor's sandwich for lunch! Violet, you can't have that!"

She had jumped into the front seat and found our lunch.

Now, Violet is a rather small fluffy cat and the sandwich was a rather big fluffy bun, so she was having a bit of a struggle carrying the bag with the bun in it through the long grass.

As I go tearing after her, Jeannie realizes what's happening and comes running, too.

"Violet, stop!" As if a cat with food is going to listen to anyone. Even without food, cats aren't known for doing what you ask them to.

As poor little Violet is "running for her life" or at least to feed her kittens, the other cats who have been lounging under the tree spring towards her, thinking it's lunch time for them, too. It looked like a scene from the savannahs of Africa when a lioness brings home a gazelle and the other lions who've been lazing around suddenly realize there's food to be enjoyed. Only these "lions" were black and white and Violet wasn't about to share with them.

Martin hears the ruckus and with his long legs soon out paces all of us including Violet. Grabbing her by the scruff of her neck, he snatches her booty and saves Victor's lunch. The bun survived its excursion with only a small dent where Violet had hung onto it.

Getting a clean bag for the bun, all is good. Victor was happy.

The van is loaded to the roof, no cats included, and we're off.

"I hope we don't have a flat," Victor says.

"Actually, we have a few flats."

Lots of flats and no more cats. Excellent stats.

Closed Mondays for Farming and Construction

Fresh from The Garden

Taking Orders for Organic BC Fruit

Oso Negro Coffee

On Sale...

The Recipe Box

Aunt Marilyn's Baked Beans

Honey Mustard Chicken Salad

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich

Down on the Farm