Taste of Tuesday

Yesterday I was trying to use up some farm food that was in our refrigerator. I ended up creating a couple of new dishes after being inspired by other recipes. This one was really good:

Shiitake Mushroom and Swiss Chard Casserole

2 white spring onions, chopped (whites and part of the greens)

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, diced

1/2 teaspoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos (can use soy or tamari sauce)

1 bunch Swiss chard (remove stems and chop chard into bite-sized pieces)

3/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup hemp seeds

8 eggs, beaten

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon dried lemon thyme

1/4 teaspoon salt (I used pink Himalayan)

Freshly ground pepper (a few grinds)

Preheat oven to 350. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in large skillet. Saute onions over medium heat for 2-3 minutes; add garlic and continue to cook for 2 more minutes. Add the mushrooms and Bragg's, then cook for about 5 minutes, until mushrooms are soft. Set aside in a large bowl. Add 2 more teaspoons olive oil to the skillet, then add the chopped Swiss chard and cook until wilted. Add the chard to the mushroom and onion mixture, stir in the cheese, hemp seeds, herbs, salt, pepper, and eggs. Pour into a greased casserole dish (about 9" x 13") and bake for 35 minutes or until set and lightly browned.

Bon appetit!

Monday Morning Amusement

Something to make you smile:

Quote for the Day

"It's been proven by quite a few studies that plants are good for our psychological development. If you green an area, the rate of crime goes down. Torture victims begin to recover when they spend time outside in a garden with flowers. So we need them, in some deep psychological sense, which I don't suppose anybody really understands yet."

~Jane Goodall

Farm Friday

Dill and oregano doing well in the garden

This time of year, it's always so much easier to give a list of the week's highlights. Here's a few things I did:

• Consolidated freezers so we could unplug and clean one. Will cut down on our carbon footprint a little.
• Visited a friend's local B&B and she visited our farm stay, something we've talked about doing this for a long time. We'll be working together when we know of visitors who have lodging needs we can't fill.
• Also shared another friend's natural products line with the B&B,
• Received some canna lilies, hummingbird vine (aka cypress vine), and "pink things/old fashioned roses" from someone's garden thinnings. I'll be planting them around the farmhouse and our house.
• Continued transplanting starts to larger containers; put some in flower beds.
• Made our usual deliveries
• Working on my bug bite salve; have lots of jars of infusions in my kitchen!
• Harvested and dried plantain for later use
• Dried some of my herbs (tarragon, dill, oregano). I'll continue drying herbs as they come in and will package to sell again this year.
• Gave Bill the tomato plants I started from seeds I got in a seed swap at a conference. He used them to fill in spots where other tomatoes didn't survive. The type was "Italian Beefsteak 'Grandma.'" We've never tried them before.
• Listed our farm stay on AirBnB
• Got some much needed rain. The gardens are looking great - although the weeds like the rain, too.
• Hosted the Grace + Main leadership dinner last night (the ministry that works with homelessness and hunger issues in the inner city).
• Got my first Azure Standard shipment. So glad we finally have that option in our area.
• A customer's question motivated me to start offering gift certificates for our farm.
• Prepping for market tomorrow.
• Worked on our local CROP Hunger Walk, which will take place October 4. 
• Will be hosting a group on Sunday for a farm tour and then a salad to sample some of our produce.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The good news is that Denver has approved front-yard produce stands. Neighbors can sell to neighbors; true community and cooperation can result.

The bad news is that Monsanto is attempting a merger with Syngenta. If approved by all parties involved, it would mean Monsanto would monopolize the world food system.

The poultry business, already ugly, has gotten uglier. Competition is so stiff among the poultry house owners that they're killing each other's chickens.

Wellness Wednesday

Another reason why, if you can't make it at home, maybe you shouldn't be eating it:

Monday Morning Amazement

Who knew cinder blocks could be so beautiful (as well as functional)?

Source

Source

Go here to see more inspiring ways to use cinder blocks.