Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Springtime Potential

Hello faithful readers,

Cassie here... femme-capricorn farmer with an affinity for lists. Following is an update on our spring plantings. Be looking forward to a bountiful summer and fall.

Cheers!


IN THE GREENHOUSE:
(in flats, approx 100 plants per)

Artichoke: 1
*Basil: 11
*Basil, Anise: 2
Bee Balm: 1
Bell Pepper, Carib Wonder (?): 1/2
Bell Pepper, Mini Red: 1/2
Bell Pepper, Orange: 2
*Broccoli: 8
*Cabbage: 7
*Cabbage, Savoy: 2
*Cauliflower, Purple: 2
Celery: 1
*Chamomile: 3
*Chrysanthemum, Shungiku: 1
*Collards: 2
*Echinacea: 1
Eggplant: 1
Eggplant, Pinstung: 2-1/4
Eggplant, Orient Express: 1-3/4
Epazote: 1
Hyssop: 1/4
Leeks: 4
Lemon Balm: 1
*Mexican Mint Marigold: 1
*Onion, Evergreen Bunching: 1
*Onion, Yellow: 3
*Papalo: 1/2
Pepper, Anaheim: 2
Pepper, Ancho: 1
Pepper, Buran: 1/2
Pepper, Guajillo: 2-1/2
Pepper, Jalepeno: 3
Pepper, Mulatto: 2
Pepper, New Mexico: 2-1/4
Pepper, Oliva II: 1
Pepper, Poblano: 1
Radiccio: 5
*Sage, Culinary: 3/4
Tomatillo: 1/2
*Tomato, Brandywine: 3-3/4
*Tomato, Brandywine Pink: 2
*Tomato, Brandywine Yellow: 5
Tomato, Cherokee Purple: 3-1/2
Tomato, Gozo: 2
Tomato, Oregon Spanish (?): 7/8
Tomato, New Girl
Tomato, Red Burgundy: 1
Tomato, Spantom: 1
Tomato, Speckled Roman: 4
Yarrow: 4

* sprouted!

Mystery Flats: 10
(A wind storm came through shortly after the first planting, blowing apart our greenhouse, and unlabelling these flats. Hopefully we can make an approximate identification when the time of need arrives.)


IN THE GROUND:

NEW:
Beets, Gold
Bok Choy
Dandelion
Dill
Escarole
Parsnips
Radishes
Turnips

OLD FAVORITES:
Arugula
Broccoli
Carrots
Cilantro
Collards
Kohl Rabi
Lettuce
Spinach

Saturday, March 1, 2008

The Mexican Woman

The Mexican Woman

The Mexican woman reacted to the suggestion as if she had been preparing for some time. She seemed to have filled a large stainless bowl with organic corn masa and started to run water in it before the end of the question had been posed. She had the flat cakes on the stove in subnano time.

If you have stood watching in fascination as a Latin American woman makes tortillas by hand you understand the vital good of the product and that the making of them is a history lesson, a spiritual act and a sporting event rolled into one.

Rosa has been cleared to make tortillas.The Farmer and The Cook might soon be known as
El Sembrador y La Cocinera.

You could lay responsibility on Robert Garcia, Doc Chocolate as he is sometimes known hereabouts. Master of Mole. Put an accent on that e, please and pronounce it. Robert comes to work not with an ingredients list but a farm plan. We should make him work in his own room. Everybody wants to stand around and watch El Artiste. And that's just the Hetero Men.
We will have planted seeds for 2000 chile plants by the end of this week and plan on plenty more. The Ancho, The Guajillo, The Jalapeno, the Nueveo Mexicano: We are going spice. We got your epasote, your cilantro and oregano up. The tomatoes are alive.

We are staying with the pizzas, the pastas and the ensaladas. We have musical evenings on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Damian Rice came up with his friends last weekend. He did not play. He wanted to enjoy the local scene, the Fritta Mixta, the Fettucine al Ajo, have some wine. We did a good job of ignoring him. Emy Reynolds did not. She was on stage at the time. She later said she has a Damian Rice poster in her bedroom. That must have been sort of buzzy.

Oh yeah. We are going to have a big music festival at the farm on the 20th of April, EARTHDAY. 10-7. Hope you can come. Olivia is planning her menu. Its going to be legit.