Garden Update, June 2011

Some things early, some things late.  Weeds everywhere.  So far no sign of bird damage to the fruit, but we'll see what happens when it gets really ripe!

  

What would YOU do if 24 quarts of just-picked Anderson Farms strawberries showed up on your door step?  Start eating?  Make jam?  Both.  Thanks, Sarah!  Soooooo yummmmy.  It all started tonight with no-sugar, all strawberries and local-honey-sweetened jam.  Next, on to more SR while the R (rhubarb, of course) is still aplenty.

Kennebunk Farmers Market in June

The Kennebunk market is well underway, and I'm having a wonderful time of it.  It's terrific to be so close to so many great farmers and other vendors.  Pop by for a visit any Saturday morning from 8:00 to 1:00 in the middle of town for awesome seedlings and new veggies, a wide variety of dairy items, all kinds of meats, baked goods, and other yummy and creative stuff.  Here's just a glimpse at our end of the market-- next time I'll run down and grab some pics from the entrance.  Hope to see you there!

Groundwork Farm

The Sweet Specialist

Chick Farm

Trailside Farm Herbs:  This stuff really works.  Our whole family is using it this summer.

Barn Swallow Farm

Tracy and her girls from Maple Ridge Farm

Rhubarb Pie

One of my best-sellers right now is Rhubarb Pie jam.  Did we determine yet if I'm personally allowed to judge my own jam as sooooooo good?  Well it is, and of course the idea came from my neverendingly favorite kind of pie, which must be baked at least a few times during the height of the rhubarb season.

If you're not a pie-baker, don't be afraid to try this super-simple kind.  For real, it's easy.  You can do it.

When it comes to crust, if you're a pie-baking newbee, go ahead and get yourself a box of rolled up crust from the grocery store.  No one will know, and you won't tell anyone either.  When someone asks if you made the crust, you say, "Why yes, I did bake it."  You did.  Otherwise open up any recipe book to find a crust recipe you're comfortable with and go for it.    

In addition to the crust, you'll need:

1 2/3 cups sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

5 cups rhubarb, cut up in 1/2 inch pieces.  Do NOT peel the rhubarb.

1 Tbs butter

Set your oven at 425.  Place one pastry in bottom of 9 or 10 inch pie plate.  Mix sugar, flour, and cinnamon.  Turn half the rhubarb into the pastry-lined plate and cover with half the sugar mixture.  Cover with the rest of the rhubarb, then the rest of the sugar mixture.  Drop little bits of the butter around the top of the sugar mixture.  You'll want to put slits or decorate small openings in the top crust before you cover your pie with it.  I usually put 4 little leaf-shaped holes around the pie, and an x-shaped slit in the middle.  Seal your crusts well and cut off excess pastry.  Oh, I almost forgot this very important part!  Beat an egg then paint it on the top of your crust.  Next sprinkle sugar or cinnamon-sugar on top of the egg.  You will not be sorry you added this step!  Next, I cover the entire pie with tin foil to avoid burning the crust, but it is important to put a large slit in the tin-foil where the middle of the pie is so your crust doesn't get soggy.  Keep the foil on for about half an hour before removing it, then baking your pie another 15 minutes.  You'll know the pie is done when juices starts bubbling through the slits in the crust.

Feel free to eat this pie for breakfast.  Joe and I have determined that it can't be less healthy than a muffin, and doesn't rhubarb look healthy?  It is!  You will love it.

Why did the turtle cross the road?

I saw this little guy trying to cross our road yesterday.  I was so worried about coming home later and finding him smushified that I pulled over and waited for him to cross before I left again.  When he saw me walking toward him, however, he went into hiding, which did not at all help my cause.  So, I got back in the van and moved up a few yards, then watched until he finally did go for it.  This is not the first time I've stopped traffic for a turtle-crossing.  One time Jesse and I got out of my truck in the middle of busy route 28 in Wolfeboro.  Summer traffic was stopped on both sides of the highway while we used a towel to sort of "tempt" a tiny turtle across the pavement.  I like to think all the beeping cars were cheering us on.

Raising Broiler Chicks

Matt (bro) and I decided to raise broiler chicks this year up in his barn.  Our spouses announced from the beginning that "The Jo(e)'s are not involved!"  However, right away JoAnne was worried about their welfare in the pen, and both she and Joe have been helping out quite a bit.  Here's your first glimpse at our little meatlings.

They're cute, aren't they?  It's been a good lesson for our girls so far.  They understand we are going to eat these birds when they are "big and ugly," but for now we can visit and take care of them to keep them healthy.