February 25

Farm Notes

I’m a bit at a loss for words today, as I sit comfortably in our cozy farmhouse while knowing the untold amount of suffering, fear, and pain happening in Ukraine right now. I’m certainly not qualified to speak on the politics of the moment, but I am committed to learning more about how I (and we, as a global community) can support the people in Ukraine in the days, weeks, and months to come. There are a few food-focused accounts on social media that I am following that I can recommend to stay informed – @oliahercules, @alissatimoshkina, and the hashtag #cookforukraine to name a few.

And in this moment, the best thing I can think to do is to plant seeds. Because I believe there are few things more hopeful or powerful than planting seeds of new life in the face of darkness.

While we work with a few local farms and nurseries to start the majority of our seeds (since we don’t have a proper greenhouse), every season I still start a few trays of seeds that go in our mini indoor greenhouses… and it’s seeding season my friends! If you haven’t started your own seeds before, I totally understand that the process can feel a bit intimidating. But I assure you that YOU CAN DO IT, and I’m here to help walk you through the process with heaps of info below…. ready, set, seed!

Seed Starting 101

SEEDING MATERIALS

*A note that I’m sharing Amazon links for these materials, but encourage you to purchase these items from your local garden shop if you can!

• Seeds!

• Potting soil

• Seed trays (I usually use these 72-cell trays, but to start just a few plants I recommend these)

• Vermiculite

• Plant tags

• Clear dome lids OR a mini indoor greenhouse

• Grow lights (optional, you can also set seed trays in a sunny, ideally south-facing window)

• Heat mat (optional)

• Spray Bottle

SEEDING INSTRUCTIONS

• Fill each seed tray with potting soil, tapping the whole tray firmly against the ground as you go so the soil settles. Gently soak the soil-filled trays with a hose (make sure you have a nozzle so you can water the trays gently). Alternatively, you can get the soil wet before your fill your tray – but I find it’s easier to first fill the trays with dry soil and then to gently soak them.

• Make holes in each cell using your finger, a pencil, or a dibbler. A general rule is to plant the seed to a depth twice its size. Drop 1 or 2 seeds into each hole (unless seed packet specifically says otherwise).

• Cover the tray with a light dusting of fine vermiculite or seed starting mix, making sure all seeds are covered.

• Label the tray with the variety name and date sown.

• Set freshly sown trays into a large plastic tub with an inch of water in the bottom and let them soak up the water from below. Remove once the soil surface is evenly moist. Seed trays should not be watered from overhead until the plant begins to emerge, as a strong blast from your hose can damage your plants.

Photo credit: Floret Farm

• Cover trays with a clear plastic dome (OR place in your indoor greenhouse) and set onto a 70°F heat mat (optional) or just in a warm corner of the house, consistently above 65°F. Check your seed packet to see if any of your seeds need light to germinate – most seeds do not need light for germination, but some do – and you’ll obviously want to turn your grow lights on (or place in a sunny window) for seeds that need light! A note that many plants can take a long time to germinate (anywhere from 1-3 weeks) so patience is key!

• If using plastic dome lids over your trays – Once your seeds have germinated, remove the dome and take off heat mat (if using) once seeds have sprouted. Move trays to your greenhouse space and turn on the grow lights. If you don’t have a space with grow lights, a sunny south-facing window is your next best bet.

• If not using the dome lids and your trays are already in your indoor greenhouse space – Once your seeds have germinated, turn on your grow lights. If it seems too wet in your greenhouse space at any point, roll up the plastic (if possible) to lower the humidity level.

• NOTE ABOUT GROW LIGHTS: Make sure your grow lights are suspended a few inches above seedlings, keeping them on for 14 to 16 hours per day. As the plants get taller, keep raising the lights so that they are 2-3 inches above the tallest plant.

• NOTE ABOUT WATERING: Use your finger to feel the soil moisture levels in the trays – if the plants just seem a little dry, gently spritz with a spray bottle filled with water. If the plants see really dry, water them from below by placing in a tub filled with an inch of water on the bottom (like you did when the seeds were first sown).

I hope these are some helpful tips for starting your own seeds this season! In a few weeks, I’ll talk about what to do when your plants need to be potted up into bigger trays, and how to “harden off” your plants before they go in the ground outside. As always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to give me a holler!

Kitchen Notes

To make room as we start planting for spring, this week I’m harvesting the very last remaining veggies from our winter fields the winter… and I realized we still had few heads of green cabbage hanging on out there!

Now, if I have several hours to spare, my go-to cabbage dish is this recipe for Braised Cabbage… but when I’m in a hurry THIS is the recipe I use for equally delicious cabbage that is ready in less than 30 minutes. I know this is one of the least sexy dishes imaginable, but I promise you’ll be shocked by how dang good a humble head of cabbage can taste.

Butter Braised Cabbage

Photo credit: Downshiftology

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 1 head green cabbage (around 3lbs)

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Splash of apple cider vinegar

PREPARATION

• Cut the cabbage in half from its top down through its core. Place the cut-side down on your cutting board, then shred it as thinly as possible around the core, then discard the core.

• Heat a large saute pan or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the butter and once it has melted, add the cabbage, 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper. Saute for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender and begins to brown. You don’t have to constantly stir – leaving it undisturbed for a few minutes at a time allows the cabbage to caramelize and get extra yummy.

• When the cabbage has reduced by quite a bit and has begun to brown, remove from heat and stir in the apple cider vinegar. Taste and add a bit of additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Recipe adapted from Well Plated.

Today’s Stats

• Low temp: 35F

• High temp: 47F

• Sunrise: 6:52am

• Sunset: 6:08pm

• Moon phase: Waning Crescent

• Additional notes: Cool and cloudy, chance of rain

February 24

Farm Notes

Two days in a row of warm, sunshine-filled weather? I must be dreaming! The past two days, I’ve been able to spend some time in the late afternoon working in the dirt, and it has been absolutely glorious and soul-filling. I’ll be honest that at the end of the 2020 growing season (which for me, wasn’t until mid December), I was left feeling completely exhausted and burnt out. I desperately needed a break from the farm, and I’m so grateful to have had the past few months to rest, watch Netflix on the couch, sleep in, and fill my cup back up.

As I was working out in the garden today, surrounded by air that was warm and filled with the sound of frogs singing in the nearby creek, I was suddenly struck with such happiness and gratitude to be able to do this work. Which was a wonderful feeling after being so utterly tired at the end of last year. I’m continually in awe of the healing rhythm of the seasons – how the winter months can certainly be dark and dreary, but it’s also an essential time to rest and be restored for the growing season that lies ahead.

Time to share a quick seed starting tip, for what to do if/when your seedlings suddenly get way too tall! I had this issue with some bachelor button seeds that I started a few weeks ago. They were still super tiny, but had gotten so tall that they were falling over – mostly because I didn’t realize they had germinated so quickly, so they spent a few days stretching to find light before I turned the grow lights on. So in case any of you have the same problem, I’m going to show you what to do:

First, you’ll need to fill a new seeding tray with fresh, moist potting soil. You can get the soil wet by first filling the tray with dry soil, and then spraying it gently with a hose OR get your soil wet (but not dripping) first and then fill the tray. Then get a chopstick (or a pencil or pen would probably work too).

Start with your very tall baby seedlings…

Fill a new tray with fresh, moist potting soil. Grab a chopstick (or similar shaped utensil)

Next, use the chopstick to make small holes in each cell of the seedling tray. Then take the chopstick again and very gently prick out the seedling, making sure not to cut the stem.

Now gently transfer your leggy seedling over to the new tray that you’ve prepared. This is the part that takes a little practice… you want to lay the seedling over the hole and very gently use the chopsticks to fold the long stem + root end into the hole. The key is to get the stem and roots tucked in the hole, without breaking the delicate stem. I promise, you can do it! Finish by soaking the whole tray in a tub filled with a few inches of water, then put back under your grow lights (if using).

Because these seedlings are still super tiny, I potted them into the same size tray (72 cells) as they were originally in. But as your plants get bigger (and as they have absorbed all the nutrients from the potting soil that they first germinated in), you’ll need to “pot up” each seedling into new potting soil, and typically they will step up to larger cells or pots.

If you have any questions about this process (or any other issues you may be having with your baby seedlings), just give me a holler!

Kitchen Notes

If I could only eat one salad for the rest of my life, this one might be it. It has all the things I’m looking for in a good salad… it’s colorful, has a great crunch, filled with bright flavor, and is chock-full of protein and healthy fats. This recipe is very forgiving (which was first inspired by The Sprouted Kitchen)– so feel free to mix up, add, or omit ingredients depending on what you have on hand. Another perk of this salad is that it’s super hearty and won’t wilt in the fridge, so it makes great leftovers for several days.

Green Power Salad

Photo credit: The Sprouted Kitchen

INGREDIENTS 

For the salad

• 1 bunch of lacinato kale, de-stemmed and chopped 

• 3 cups cooked French green/black lentils 

• 1 green apple, diced 

• 1 avocado, diced 

• 1 english hothouse cucumber (or 3 persian cucumbers), diced 

• 1 cup pumpkin seeds/pepitas 

• 1 pint blueberries 

• 1/2 cup chopped parsley 

• 1/4 cup chopped mint

• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional) 

Lemon Vinaigrette 

• 1/2 cup olive oil 

• 1/4 cup lemon juice (juice of ~2 lemons) 

• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley 

• 1-2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 

• 1-2 tablespoons honey (or maple syrup) 

• 1 clove minced garlic (1 teaspoon) 

• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 

PREPARATION 

• To cook the lentils: Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add 1.5 cups of uncooked lentils and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until al dente (make sure to taste them to see when they are finished). When the lentils are finished cooking, drain immediately and set aside. 

• Make the vinaigrette: Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a mason jar and shake, shake, shake! Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. 

• De-stem the kale, roughly chop, and set aside in a large salad bowl. 

• Pour a few tablespoons of the vinaigrette into the salad bowl with the chopped kale. Using your hands, massage the kale for 1-2 minutes, until the it breaks down and turns dark green.

• Add the cooked lentils, chopped apples, avocado, cucumber, parsley, mint, pepitas, blueberries and parmesan cheese (if using) to the salad bowl with the massaged kale. 

• Pour additional vinaigrette over the salad and toss well to combine (you may have some extra vinaigrette). Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Today’s Stats

• Low temp: 35F

• High temp: 70F

• Sunrise: 6:53am

• Sunset: 6:08pm

• Moon phase: Waxing Gibbous

• Additional notes: A bit chilly in the morning, then sunny and warm all day!

February 15

Farm Notes

I’m about ready to build an ark with the nonstop rain that we’ve been getting around here! I know a lot of folks all over the country are dealing with winter storms right now, and I hope everyone is staying safe, warm, and dry. On the bright side, starting spring seeds is a great activity when you’re cooped up inside. I did my first round of seeding over the weekend, and took a bunch of photos to walk y’all through the process. So if you’re interested in learning more about starting seeds, here’s the rundown:

Materials You’ll Need

• Seeds!

• Potting soil

• Seed trays (I usually use these 72-cell trays, but to start just a few plants I recommend these)

• Bottom trays

• Vermiculite

• Plant tags

• Clear dome lids OR a mini indoor greenhouse

• Grow lights (there are LOTS to choose from, but these the ones I use)

• Heat mat (optional)

• Spray Bottle

• *** I did find a seeding kit on Amazon that includes a bottom tray, 72-cell seed tray, dome, and heat mat for $42 here.

Instructions

• Fill each seed tray with potting soil, tapping the whole tray firmly against the ground as you go so the soil settles. Gently soak the soil-filled trays with a hose (make sure you have a nozzle so you can water the trays gently). Alternatively, you can get the soil wet before your fill your tray – but I find it’s easier to first fill with the trays with dry soil and then to gently soak them.

• Make holes in each cell using your finger, a pencil, or a dibbler. A general rule is to plant the seed to a depth twice its size. Drop 1 or 2 seeds into each hole.

• Cover the tray with a light dusting of fine vermiculite or seed starting mix, making sure all seeds are covered.

• Label the tray with the variety name and date sown.

• Set freshly sown trays into a plastic tub with an inch of water in the bottom and let them soak up the water from below. Remove once the soil surface is evenly moist. Seed trays should not be watered from overhead until the plants have their first set of true leaves, as a strong blast from your hose can damage your plants.

Photo credit: Floret Farm

• Cover trays with a clear plastic dome (OR place in your indoor greenhouse) and set onto a 70°F heat mat (optional) or just in a warm corner of the house, consistently above 65°F. Check your seed packet to see if any of your seeds need light to germinate – most seeds do not need light for germination, but some do – and you’ll obviously want to turn your grow lights on for seeds that need light! A note that many plants can take a long time to germinate (anywhere from 1-3 weeks) so patience is key!

• Once your seeds have germinated – if using plastic dome lids over your trays – remove the dome and take off heat mat (if using) once seeds have sprouted. Move trays to your greenhouse space and turn on the grow lights. If you don’t have a space with grow lights, a sunny south-facing window is your next best bet.

• Once your seeds have germinated – if not using the dome lids and your trays are already in your indoor greenhouse space – turn on your grow lights. If it seems too wet in your greenhouse space at any point, roll up the plastic (if possible) to lower the humidity level.

• Make sure your grow lights are suspended a few inches above seedlings, keeping them on for 14 to 16 hours per day. As the plants get taller, keep raising the lights so that they are 2-3 inches above the tallest plant.

• Use your finger to feel the soil moisture levels in the trays – if the plants just seem a little dry, gently spritz with a spray bottle filled with water. If the plants see really dry, water them from below by placing in a tub filled with an inch of water on the bottom (like you did when the seeds were first sown).

I hope these are some helpful tips for starting your own seeds this season! In a few weeks I’ll talk about what to do when your plants need to be potted up into bigger trays, and how to “harden off” your plants before they go in the ground outside.

Kitchen Notes

This winter weather has me leaning into allll the comfort foods, and tonight I made one of my go-to comfort side dishes – crispy smashed potatoes with parmesan and garlic. The secret to this recipe is cooking the potatoes two ways: first by par-boiling them in salted water until tender, and then smashing and roasting them in a hot oven until crispy and golden. The extra steps are 100% worth it, and once you cook potatoes this way, you won’t go back! This recipe is inspired by Cookie & Kate.

Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Parmesan & Garlic

These potatoes may not win any beauty contests, but they will win any taste test!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds small-to-medium red or yellow potatoes

• 3 tablespoons plus ¼ teaspoon salt, divided

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, chives and/or green onion

• A few lemon wedges

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To prepare the potatoes, scrub them clean if dirty and rinse under running water. Remove and discard any nubby sprouting areas. Place the potatoes in a large Dutch oven or soup pot.

2. Fill the pot with water until the potatoes are submerged and covered by 1 inch of additional water. Add 3 tablespoons of the salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and continue cooking until the potatoes are very easily pierced through by a fork (smaller potatoes are done around 20 minutes, and medium around 25 minutes).

3. While the potatoes cook, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over a large, rimmed baking sheet. Brush the oil so it’s evenly distributed over the sheet.

4. When the potatoes are done, drain them in a large colander and let them cool for about 5 minutes, until they can be handled safely.

5. Evenly distribute the potatoes over the prepared baking sheet, and use a potato masher or a serving fork to gently smash each potato to a height of about ½ inch. (Thinner potatoes are more crispy.)

6. Drizzle the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil over the smashed potatoes. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper over the potatoes.

7. Bake until the potatoes are nice and golden on the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and toss the potatoes with the minced garlic and a hefty dusting of freshly grated parmesan, and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

8. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon juice, and an extra bit of parmesan cheese if you feel inclined!

Todays Stats

• Low temp: 32F

• High temp: 36F

• Sunrise: 7:04am

• Sunset: 5:59pm

• Moon phase: Waxing Crescent

• Additional notes: Cold and freezing rain throughout the day.