Farm Notes

Our first farmstand of the season is officially in the books! The weather yesterday was pretty darn perfect – sunny, but still relatively cool and breezy, and I was so proud to send our veggies out into the world and onto the tables of so many friends (both new and old) in our community.

These farmstand Tuesdays are FULL ON – I’m up with the sun and have pretty much every moment of the day planned out in order to make it all happen.

In the early morning hours there is still some harvesting, washing, and packing to finish, then around 9:30am I make a round of pickups around Saxapahaw to get goods from some local vendors that we offer through the farmstand. I’m usually back by around 10:15am, and then I have a friend who joins me every Tuesday to help finish all the prep and packing the orders. I definitely couldn’t do it all myself, so it is amazing to have an extra pair of hands.

By 12pm we move all the washed and cooled veggies to under our carport area, and we start packing the orders! This week we filled about 50 orders – many folks pick up at the farm, but about half go to our 4 other pick up locations (Burlington, Chapel Hill, Hope Valley, and Durham). We put the orders that are heading to the other pickup locations in big bins, and on top of each bin we write the names of the people whose orders are inside that particular bin.

By 1:30pm, I need to be in the car with the bins and I head east to drop off the orders in Chapel Hill, Hope Valley, and Durham. And by 3pm, I need an iced coffee! Thankfully, my last drop-off is right across from a great local coffeeshop, and I may or may not have indulged in a $6 latte and it was worth every penny (though I definitely won’t be able to keep up that habit every week…)! I’m usually home by around 4pm, at which point I usually will do some additional work out in the garden, so that folks who are picking up at the farm can come over and chat if they’d like. By the time it gets dark we sit down for our Tuesday tradition of pizza + salad, and I’m usually asleep not too long afterwards… ;)

So that is what my Tuesdays will look like for the foreseeable future! A note that if you’re someone looking to start your own farmstand and have any questions about our process, just give me a holler, I’m happy to dig into even more detail.

Kitchen Notes

Yesterday we kept our tradition of Tuesday pizza + a big salad going strong, but over the weekend I made a french-inspired herby potato salad that we LOVED and I’m excited to share the recipe (which I found over at The Kitchn) with y’all! A note that I actually doubled this recipe, because… LEFTOVERS!

Herby French Potato Salad

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Cyd McDowell, The Kitchn

INGREDIENTS

2-3 pounds small red or Yukon gold potatoes (no larger than 2-inches in diameter)

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh tender herbs, such as parsley, basil, dill, tarragon, or a combination
4 medium scallions
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard (or additional 1 tablespoon regular Dijon)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

Place 2 pounds small red or Yukon gold potatoes and 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt in a large saucepan. Cover by 1 inch with cool water, then bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are easily pierced with a knife, 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the herbs and scallions, and make the dressing.
Coarsely chop 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh tender herbs. Thinly slice 4 medium scallions.
Place 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and the remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a large bowl. Whisk well to combine and emulsify.
Drain the cooked potatoes in a colander and rinse under cold water just until they are cool enough to handle but still warm. Halve the potatoes (or quarter if large) and transfer to the bowl of vinaigrette. Gently toss to coat the potatoes. Add the herbs and scallions and toss lightly to combine. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow for the flavors to meld. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Today’s Stats

Low temp: 41F
High temp: 68F
Sunrise: 7:04am
Sunset: 7:38pm
Moon phase: Waning Gibbous
Additional notes: Cloudy and rainy.