Rain or not, beautiful spring is here in full effect as the lilac outside my window blooms and the trees that only a week ago were hinted with color are surely covered in leaves today. Here at the farm the work on seeds and seedlings indoors is rivaled only by the rigorous outdoor planting of carrots, beets, peas, radishes, lettuces, spinach, chard, fava beans and much more! It’s never too early for greens or for indoor tomatoes, as we experienced earlier in the week when some of our delicious sungold cherry tomatoes ripened in the house from seeds started in the deep dark of January! What a treat that little golden treasure tasted like!

For all of you who would like to visit the farm, the gate is always open. And for those of you who’d like to enjoy some of our tasty produce, come down to the Robins market on Fridays from 4pm-dusk starting June 12th and enjoy all that we will have to offer. There will be produce,  maple syrup, baked goods, honey, wine and much more!

redhouse freestanding tomato seedling in a fine reusable container!

squash soup with its secret ingredients: Macoun apples & ginger

At the request of my good friend Liz, here are some squash soup recipes. One works well for a lighter meal or even as a chilled soup, while the other is thicker and more substantial. they are both vegan, but could easily be doctored if you are craving meat or dairy. I think you might be surprised though, if you are expecting a vegan soup to be tasteless or ‘wussy’. Give them a fair shot

Light Apple Squash Soup

1 lg. butternut squash, halved, sprinkled with cinnamon, and roasted 1 hr. in 400 degree oven

4-5 apples, peeled and sliced

1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 inch slice ginger root, finely minced

couple splashes EVOO

several cups veggie stock–I prefer Kitchen Basics because it is flavorful & lower in sodium than most brands

Saute ginger, garlic and apples in EVOO on low heat, covered, for 15 minutes. Do not let the garlic or ginger brown- it will make the soup bitter. Baste it with the juices that seep from the cooking apples. Afterward, put mixture in blender and top with squash spooned from its baked shell. Add one cup stock to begin mixing, and as needed for desired consistency. I prefer mine pureed smoothly like apple sauce. Simmer quickly on the stove top if serving immediately, otherwise refrigerate or freeze until needed.

Hearty White Bean Squash Soup with Cauliflower

Same as above ingredients

1 half-head cauliflower

1 lg. can white beans

Roast squash as instructed in recipe above, and in the meantime, steam a half-head of cauliflower. Cook apples, garlic, ginger as before. If using dried white beans, have them soaked 24 hours in advance, or the easiest way is to use 1 lg. can rinsed and drained of Great Northern or Cannellini beans. Put them in the blender first, along with one cup of stock and puree. Add stock as needed. Then add cauliflower, squash and apple mixture, adding stock as needed, and going in ‘shifts’ depending on blender capacity. Pour finished batches into a large container and mix at the end, if need be. This one is a much richer version, and the beans balance the sweetness of the apples. It would be a nice soup to add sausage and sage too, if you are meat-inclined. Enjoy!

a garden mainstay

dying lemon cucumber vines

second-harvest strawberries

fall pea sprouts

cayenne chiles finally ripen

these stunners are finally getting their moment...

Love-Lies-Bleeding Amaranthus close-up

The windows need to be closed in the evenings, sitting in the warm sun is no longer a given, and halloween candy is all over the shelves. Here in the Alchemy Farmhouse garden, Autumn means getting the lead out to plant fall crops and create coldframes. I’ll be working on that for the next few weeks, and will post pictures and instructions for anyone who would like to create their own to lengthen the growing season or get a jump start this spring. But in the meantime, enjoy the weather and meet me at the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival in Saugerties, NY next weekend! It’s in its 20th year and runs from 10-6 on saturday and 10-5 on Sunday. There’s tons of stinky, savory garlic foods to try, music for dancing, and garlic for planting. I’ll see you there!

purple de milpa tomatillos

I tried to come up with a title for this using proper English, but I just couldn’t stop thinking that it was the most appropriate. I made the most bangin tomatillo salsa yesterday, and it’s not even funny! I used the recipe we had always followed at Cookies & Cream, but this time was just magical because the tomatillos, jalapeno, garlic–it was all home-grown!

Tomatillo Salsa

2 dozen tomatillos, husked and rinsed (less ripe are tangier, more ripe, sweeter)

1 small onion, diced or I have used shallots–delicious!

1 clove garlic, rough chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded & rough chopped

dash cumin

dash salt

Simmer the tomatillos for up to 5 minutes in below-rolling-boil water for up to 5 minutes, or until their colors ‘browns’ a bit. Err on the side of underdone, as overcooking will turn them to mush. Toss all other ingredients in a blender and add tomatillos last–their juice is what will bring it all together. Pulse briefly to incorporate. be careful when removing the lid as the hot ingredients will steam out. That’s it! So good and tangy! This salsa freezes well or can keep in the fridge up to about a week or so. Enjoy!

first fresh carrot!

This past week has been filled with the harvesting of many lovely orange things–namely carrots and cantaloupes. They are both full of beta carotene, as many orange things are. I hope everyone is enjoying the abundant harvest time and eating well!

super-sweet canteloupe

mini Crimson Sweet watermelon

Sweet reprieve for having cut down that sugar baby too soon last week! This morning I plucked a mini Crimson Sweet off a dead vine, figuring it wouldn’t mature any further so I might as well try it. I am so glad I did! It was still a little less pink than I’d like, but it gives me high hopes for the larger, more vigorous melons still growing! They ought to be great in a week or two. It made a great addition to this morning’s breakfast, and put us in a sweet mood as we rode the Harley to Kingston Farmer’s market for a nice change. I will keep posting on the watermelon progress as they mature…The market had their watermelons in full effect, so be sure to head to NPZ’s tomorrow for some great buys and community showing. Enjoy the holiday!

scarlet runner beans

Yesterday’s dinner was a garden mac ‘n’ cheese, with lots of garlicky tomatoes, roasted corn & chiles, and broccoli and zukes. When I went into the garden to pick for cooking, i found some wonderful purple surprises. There was a scarlet runner bean pod that had dried on the vine, so I could feel free to pick it. ordinarily you want them dry before opening up the beans. they keep better for winter storage that way. They were so pretty and speckled, as you can see. Some of the Rainbow Inca corn has blushed with purples as well, after I commented last week that it was all still white! I guess it was just taking its time. Everything tasted delicious, and will surely make even better leftovers tonight! Try the recipe if you have a great variety of veggies that need to be thrown into something.

rainbow inca sweet corn shows its colors...

Garden Mac ‘n’ Cheese

1 lb. small pasta such as elbows, shells, etc.

fresh cheddar for shredding

several cloves garlic, minced

1 medium zucchini (6-8 inches)

couple tomatoes, different colors are fun

2-3 roasted chiles, depending on how much heat you prefer

1 head broccoli

2-3 ears corn

EVOO

Cut florets off broc. and shear kernals off corn. Put in pot to steam lightly. Sautee garlic in EVOO and keep an eye so it doesn’t brown and turn bitter. If you have not already roasted the chiles, set the oven to broil, coat them in EVOO and lay them on a tray below the burner, turning frequently till all skin blisters. remove carefully from oven and wrap in wet paper towels and tie in a plastic bag to steam. Remove skins by sliding off after steamed for 10-20 minutes. Test their heat, and chop and set aside for later use. Add steamed broc & corn to garlic, as well as quartered zuke slices & tomato chunks. Sautee several minutes until fully cooked and aromatic. Meanwhile shred the fresh cheddar to your liking and blend with the cooked pasta in a large baking dish. A 9x 13 should work. Mix in the garlic veggies and chiles, and layer thinly sliced tomatoes on top as a garnish. they will brown nicely in the broiler and their juices will seep into the dish. Broil for 5-10 minutes until all is melted and enjoy!