2010 Independence Days – Week 2

Plant something – so nothing yet.  😦  BUT that will not be the case next week!

Harvest something – eggs: Mayzie laid a tiny egg this week.  She hadn’t laid all winter, so we’re grateful for something at least, no matter how small…

Thankfully, we got a couple full size ones from her later in the week. 

Preserve something – froze half a batch of the soup below for later. 

Waste Not – compost and recycling.  We are also now reducing the energy we use to wash and dry our clothes… see below!!!  We’ve been brainstorming ways to store all those empty jars (since we’ve been eating our preserves, beets, pickles, jellies, etc.).

Want Not – OK, get ready, this is HUGE!  Our neighbor (the amazing Mr. Mitchell) GAVE us a practically new front loading, energy-efficient washer and dryer!  His friend had to move quickly, and sold the washer and dryer to our neighbor for $200.  So we are going to pay our neighbor the $200.  But these machines are less than two years old, and the same models are still sold at Sears for over $650 each.  So to me, $200 for over $1300 worth of appliances is the same as giving it away.  (!!SQUEAL!!!) – Yes, that’s right, I’m squealing like a little girl over a washer and dryer.  (Bonus – crossing item #36 off of my 101 in 1001 list!)

Got the garden plan drawn up and ready.  Forgot to mention last week that I borrowed my friend Jen’s copy of Carrots Love Tomatoes, and read through it pretty quick.  Great little book – very handy and quick to read. 

Henry and I spent some time cleaning up the garden on Wednesday… moved out the drip system (that was left out all winter – oops!), put the limp remains of plants we did not pull out in the winter into the compost pile.  Basically, we got it ready to be roto-tilled.  None of the above is planting, but we are preparing and I didn’t know what other category to put it in.  🙂 

Build Community Food Systems – Total revamp of the CSA blog this week.  Been working with a few other farm members to make it great.  Check out the new digs: http://monroeorganicfarms.wordpress.com.  Took green chili to a party to share. 

Eat the Food – venison, bacon, butternut squash, beans and asparagus, a big pot of green chili using pork and chiles from the freezer.  We’re trying to use up all the frozen asparagus before the new crop is in at the farm!  Yum Yum – I can’t wait to go harvest the good stuff this year!  Usually we use a soup recipe that is mainly asparagus and shallots, but this week I had some extra bacon lying around, and no shallots.  This is what I came up with, and we really liked the smoky flavor the toasted garlic and the bacon gave the soup. 

Toasted Garlic and Asparagus Soup

4 slices bacon, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 small onion, chopped
1 head of garlic,  chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried thyme
3 Tbs flour
3 lbs asparagus, cut into 2-3″ long pieces
2 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
1 1/2-2 tsp salt or to taste
1/3 cup heavy cream

In a 4 quart pot, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crispy.  Remove some of the bacon pieces and reserve to garnish the finished soup.  To the remaining bacon, add the chopped onion.  Saute until the onion softens, about 3 minutes.  Add the garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes.  Continue to cook until the garlic begins to toast, but do not let it burn.  Stir in the flour.

Add the asparagus, chicken broth and water.  Stir and season with salt to taste.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 4-6 minutes, until the asparagus turns bright green.  Remove from heat.  Using an immersion blender (or working in batches using a regular blender), blend soup until smooth.  Stir in cream just before serving, and garnish with reserves bacon pieces.