Agriculture is the noblest of all alchemy; for it turns earth, and even manure, into gold, conferring upon its cultivator the additional reward of health." -– Paul Chatfield | Good News It's a pleasure to see how well everything is growing around the farm. One of the most exciting areas of growth is the strawberry field. It was well strawed in the fall, so this spring, there was substantial growth with the rows filling in nicely with robust plants. The field is turning white with blossoms, which means that in less than three weeks we'll be picking delicious berries. Watch for the notice of fresh strawberries. | Another bit of good news. The new hens are starting to lay. The eggs are still small, but there are more coming every day. Won't it be wonderful to have all the eggs you want again? The guys have been collecting eggs from the hens around the barns. However, they missed some. The other day a hen was seen strutting around with three little fluff balls following her. Talking about babies, the dairy barn has apparently become a kitten nursery. At least three batches of kittens are being taken care of in there. We shouldn't have any problems with mice. Remember Sunny and Shadow (formerly Penguin), the baby ducks we were gifted? They've grown! And loving the waterfall. | BioItalia makes a wide variety of excellent products and recently, we added a variety of pastas. Bioitalia pasta is made from the best organic durum wheat from the regions of southern Italy. Its known origin is guaranteed by a system that follows the product from the field to the table. Replicating a handmade process according to Neapolitan pasta makers' methods. The drying is slow and the bronze extruding machines give it a rough and porous surface perfect for the sauce to stick on. The real good taste of traditional pasta. BioItalia's bronze-cut pasta, your favorite sauce, and good company are a winning trio! Large Shells – Great for stuffing with ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, spinach, and/or ground beef, chicken, or turkey. Top with a marinara sauce and enjoy! | Fettuccine – Means "little ribbons." Popular in Roman and Tuscan cuisine, it is a flat, thick pasta, slightly wider and thicker than tagliatelle. Often eaten with beef or chicken ragu. And of course, there's Fettuccine Alfredo, a delicious dish of pasta topped with an emulsion of butter, grated Parmesan cheese, garlic, and heavy cream. | Tagliatelle – A traditional type of pasta from the Emilia-Romagna and Marche regions of Italy. Individual pieces of tagliatelle are long, flat ribbons that are similar in shape to fettuccine, but slightly narrower. Serve with a creamy mushroom sauce or your favorite tomato sauce. | Caserecce – A typical shape of pasta from Southern Italy, Caserecce are short twists of pasta which appear rolled up on themselves. It pairs well with cream, cheese, meat, napolitana, seafood, pesto, and vegetables. | Next week we'll have fresh chicken and parts. Fresh WHOLE broiler chickens will be ready Friday, June 9th and Sunday, June 11th. Fresh chicken PARTS will be ready Sunday, June 11th. PLACE YOUR ORDERS NOW. | Harvest Haven Pastured Lamb Chops – A quick and easy main dish for a special dinner party or a busy evening. Spread them with an aromatic marinade or simply sprinkle with lemon juice and herbs. Grill, roast, or pan fry…what could be easier than that? Bioitalia Organic Olive Oil, 750 mL – This delicate oil is made from the best selection of organic olive varieties in southern Italy. Their origin is guaranteed by a system that follows the product from the field to the table. Mans Organic Grape Tomatoes – Tasty bite-sized tomatoes from Mans Organic, a local producer of excellent produce. Mans Organics is grown in a soil-based greenhouse with compost input. It's similar to how we grow our food, except with more heat and protection from natural elements, like wind and snow. Mans Organic Mini Cucumbers – These crunchy mini cukes are perfect for slicing onto a sandwich, dicing into a salad, or just eating as a snack. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, and are a good source of B vitamins and carbohydrates that can provide a quick pick-me-up. Frozen Wild Saskatoon Berries – These wild saskatoons are hand-picked at the peak of ripeness. The sweet, nutty almond-flavored berries are high in fiber, protein, and antioxidants. Sprinkle on your hot or cold cereal, bake in muffins, or make a special dessert. Truly a taste of the prairies. Organic Shredded Coconut (unsweetened), 130 g – A flavorful organic coconut with a rich taste, perfect for baking, cooking, and granola. | Please note, all ingredients in our recipes are organic. | Grilled Lamb Chops 1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
6 cloves Harvest Haven garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
8 Harvest Haven lamb chops In a large bowl, whisk together the lamb chop marinade ingredients: olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, fresh herbs, salt, and pepper. Add the lamb chops. Turn them to coat in marinade and press the marinade into the chops. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. (Alternatively, marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight, but let lamb chops sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.) Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, 400 to 450 degrees F. Cook lamb chops on the grill for 1-3 minutes per side for medium rare, 2-4 minutes per side for medium, or 3-5 minutes per side for medium well. For best results, check using a meat thermometer: 130 degrees for medium rare, 140 degrees for medium, or 150 degrees for medium well. Remove lamb chops from the grill and transfer to a plate. Tent with foil and rest for 5 minutes before serving. (Internal temperature will rise an additional 5-10 degrees.) | Greek Salad 3 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cup Mans grape tomatoes
1 cup Harvest Haven red onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups Mans cucumber, sliced and chopped into quarters
1 medium Mans bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup whole Kalamata olives
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled Greek Salad Dressing
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (or more to taste) In a large bowl, combine the romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, olives, and feta cheese. In a small bowl, make the lemon Greek salad dressing by whisking together the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt, and pepper.
Pour dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Add more black pepper to taste. | Saskatoon Berry Bread with Brown Butter Glaze Loaf
2 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup vanilla Greek yogurt (you can substitute plain Greek yogurt but increase the brown sugar to 2/3 cup and add an additional 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract)
2 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 Harvest Haven egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lime or lemon juice
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup chopped pecans
2 cups Saskatoon berries Glaze
3 tablespoons brown butter
1 1/2 tablespoon milk
1 1/2 tablespoon cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup icing sugar Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease loaf pan with butter. Combine flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, baking soda, coconut, and baking powder. Set aside. In a large bowl beat egg till fluffy, beat in oil. Mix in Greek yogurt, vanilla, lime or lemon juice, and milk. Add flour mixture and stir until combined. Fold in chopped pecans and Saskatoon berries. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350 F for 50-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely. Glaze: beat cream cheese and icing sugar together until smooth. Brown butter in a pot on the stovetop and whisk into the cream cheese mixture along with the milk. Pour glaze over the loaf and let set in the fridge for 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy! | RoHand II, Number Two Last summer we appreciated how useful the RoHand II was, so we bought a second one. This year we have twice as many strawberries to pick, which is backbreaking and exhausting when you're in the field everyday from early in the morning until the heat of the day. Using the RoHand means laying down on the job, literally. But, it doesn't mean no work gets done. The person on the unit can pick twice as much as someone bending over the strawberry rows, keeping the berries cooler in the shade of the canopy, and not getting nearly as stiff and tired. It's also essential for hand weeding the carrots. The plants are so tiny when they emerge from the soil that hand weeding is necessary to get a good job done. With the RoHand, the weeder lays down on the job and can pick in the shade at a good pace. Martin describes all the advantages of using this ingenious machine. Brain trumps brawn. We love it and now, them. | | |
