This spring has been a challenge and a half what with weather extremes, illnesses and equipment issues. But somehow we always solider through. My beehives didn't escape the cloud of doom that's been lingering over us, either. Already I lost a queen early in the season and was forced to combine two hives. But I'm happy to report they merged successfully and the queen has been dutifully laying eggs. I still have some partial frames of honey stored in the freezer that I kept for emergency feeding over the winter. It looks like I won't need it all, so we may have an early honey harvest this year.
Mark has been stumbling in late in the evening the past few days covered from hat to boots in dirt. The boys have been working quickly to plant potatoes so we can move on to field corn as soon as possible. All of the early cabbage and sweet corn is in the ground and the rest of our starts are looking lovely and spry. The watermelon and cantaloupe seeds have already begun to sprout and they were only planted last week! Now that the temperatures are settling back to a normal range, we are really starting to feel the pressure. Mark estimates we are about two weeks behind schedule, which seems to be a constant, so I guess we are right on time. Early mornings are spent in the potato storage shed packing for orders and then the field work begins. Our potato supply is quickly dwindling and soon enough, mornings will be spent in the garden harvesting for markets. Summer will be upon us in no time.
As you can see from the photographs, there is never a shortage of potatoes on this farm! But believe it or not, pictured here are "seed" potatoes. As I explained in a previous post, seed potatoes are really just parts of potatoes that are replanted. After we unload these babies, they make their way through our seed cutter and then finally into the fields.
Mark has been stumbling in late in the evening the past few days covered from hat to boots in dirt. The boys have been working quickly to plant potatoes so we can move on to field corn as soon as possible. All of the early cabbage and sweet corn is in the ground and the rest of our starts are looking lovely and spry. The watermelon and cantaloupe seeds have already begun to sprout and they were only planted last week! Now that the temperatures are settling back to a normal range, we are really starting to feel the pressure. Mark estimates we are about two weeks behind schedule, which seems to be a constant, so I guess we are right on time. Early mornings are spent in the potato storage shed packing for orders and then the field work begins. Our potato supply is quickly dwindling and soon enough, mornings will be spent in the garden harvesting for markets. Summer will be upon us in no time.
As you can see from the photographs, there is never a shortage of potatoes on this farm! But believe it or not, pictured here are "seed" potatoes. As I explained in a previous post, seed potatoes are really just parts of potatoes that are replanted. After we unload these babies, they make their way through our seed cutter and then finally into the fields.
If you haven't heard yet, we are now selling our beef at the farmers markets! We recently started working with Rising Spring Meat Company over in Spring Mills, which is a USDA Certified butcher shop. In the past, we sold mostly to auctions, but this winter we found ourselves with an over abundance of product and so decided to test the waters at market. Right now we mostly have ground beef, but we also have some steaks, roasts and other cuts. If you are curious, be sure to stop by our booth at the Boalsburg Farmers Market on Tuesdays or, starting May 19th, the North Atherton Farmers Market on Saturdays.
Every once in a while I come across a recipe that is so simple to make and satisfying to eat, I feel foolish for not thinking of it on my own! I love recipes like this potato omelette that consist of staple pantry items and can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dinner, depending on the pairing. On this particular occasion, I made a little side salad of tender greens from Tamarack Farm in Spring Mills and served it for dinner. Eggs and potatoes are in abundance on this farm and there always seems to be a little hunk of cheese waiting patiently in the back of our fridge to be put to good use. This time, I used a Romano-style cheese called Royer Mountain from Clover Creek Cheese Cellar in Williamsburg (and I only had a small bit left because I kept breaking off chunks for snacks). Mark and I love eating breakfast for dinner and I often make hash browns to serve with eggs, but why not cook everything all in one? One dish, no fuss, all flavor.
Potato Omelette
Makes 1 large omelette
Barely adapted from Saveur
| Ingredients 2 large eggs 2 medium sized potatoes 1 clove garlic 2 tbsp finely shredded cheese Salt and pepper 2 tbsp unsalted butter | Method Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk them for a minute or so until light and fluffy. Grate the potatoes, peeled or unpeeled and add to the bowl of eggs (you need about 1 1/4 cups). Grate the garlic clove on a microplane into the mix, then stir in the cheese and season everything with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a medium-sized, non-stick pan over medium low heat. Pour the omelette mixture into the pan and let it cook for about 10-15 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Serve warm with a tender lettuce salad. |
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