LDF News: High July!

Can you find the praying mantis in the green? It is hiding in our old snap pea planting.

A reminder to love each other and make space and time for space and time is in order. This is all we can do. In July, we have to focus harder than ever to make a little spacextime for each other and our family. The farm would take it all. It is easy to get lost moving from one point to the next and forget to exist, forget to focuIt is a challenge to choose the right mix, but I think we are on the right track. 
 
 
In this email:

• Generally important notes
  • Farm Members, if you haven't checked out our new membership agreement please see a copy here. If this works for you, please send me an email saying so. If it doesn't, please let me know and we will sort it out. Thank you!
  • Stockbridge Members: Look for the email from a couple weeks ago. Please email me with any questions or thoughts.
  • Here is link to our Social Justice page on our website. It is a list of resources to keep active in effecting positive social change.  
• Fresh from the Field
• Recipe: Crispy Smashed Potatoes from Cookie and Kate
• Market Details
• Tales from the Farm!
• Member Info
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Fresh From the Field- 
Greens:
Kale- limited
Pea shoots

All Manner of Deliciousness
Carrots- Back next week
Celery
Cucumbers
Eggplant- limited
Baby Fennel
Kohlrabi 
New Potatoes!
Snap Peas
Scallions
Summer Squash!
Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes!
Zucchini

Herbs:
Basil-limited
Dill Flowers
Mint
Parsley
Thyme

Coming soon:
Peppers
Spring onions

Recipe: Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 4 side servings 1x
Category: Side dish
Method: Baked
Cuisine: American

These smashed potatoes are baked to crispy perfection! You’re going to love this smashed potatoes recipe, which is both vegan and gluten free. Recipe yields 4 side servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds small-to-medium red or yellow potatoes
• 1 tablespoon plus ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, chives and/or green onion

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To prepare the potatoes, scrub them clean if dirty and rinse under running water. Remove and discard any nubby sprouting areas. Place the potatoes in a large Dutch oven or soup pot.
2. Fill the pot with water until the potatoes are submerged and covered by 1 inch of additional water. Add 1 tablespoon of the salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and continue cooking until the potatoes are very easily pierced through by a fork (smaller potatoes are done around 20 minutes, and medium around 25 minutes).
3. While the potatoes cook, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over a large, rimmed baking sheet. Brush the oil so it’s evenly distributed over the sheet.
4. When the potatoes are done, drain them in a large colander and let them cool for about 5 minutes, until they can be handled safely.
5. Evenly distribute the potatoes over the prepared baking sheet, and use a potato masher or a serving fork to gently smash each potato to a height of about ½ inch. (Thinner potatoes are more crispy.)
6. Drizzle the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil over the smashed potatoes. Sprinkle the garlic powder, onion powder and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt over the potatoes. Finally, sprinkle them lightly with freshly ground black pepper.
7. Bake until the potatoes are nice and golden on the edges, about 25 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle them with chopped fresh herbs, and serve hot.

NOTES

• STORAGE SUGGESTIONS: These potatoes are best served fresh, but can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days. To reheat, bake them in the oven at 425 until warmed through.

Market Details: We are at market this week
 
The Ann Arbor Farmers Market, Saturday with Helen and Tyler and radish aficionado Wiley! 7 am to 3 pm (or till sold out)

Eastern Market, shed 2, Saturday with Special Guest Peter! 6 am to 2:30 pm

Royal Oak, Saturday with Jim and Lisa! 7 am to 1 pm

Basil is coming in strong now. This fragrant mint family plant keeps on giving if you care for it. That's why it is one of the best porch plants. It is an interesting harvest. It has to be harvested regularly because it is always trying to flower but we need to leave enough behind so that it can grow back for the following week. New shoots grow from each leaf node so we are careful to cut just above the leaf nodes. Once the plants are off on the right foot, the most important thing is regular harvest.

​Tales from the Farm:
We have gotten our fall cabbage, carrots, and rutabaga in the ground. The melon is weedy but bearing fruit. Let's cross our fingers and hope it thrives.

There is so much to do this time of year. We have no hope of completing our to do lists, only to chip away. Prep ground, seed plants, harvest, and weed. And new tasks materialize out of nowhere! Last week the cooler went down. We swapped the AC units and got it back up in a matter of hours. Put it on the list and take it off. And then yesterday the field truck, the aforementioned MVP, got a flat tire while in the field. And the lug nuts were really snugly on there. Several tools later (striped nut, cap crumble, post drilled out), Jim managed to get the tire off of there to take it in to be repaired. So add that to the list and take it back off again. 

And we welcome Sarah to the team for her first full week. She'll be here 3 half days a week and that is definitely a help because she is a hard and deft worker. We're glad to have you on the team!

See you at market.

Helen for Jim, Tyler, Sarah!, Wiley, Boomer (bark layer), and Exie (morale officer)