Cicada

Pickles!

As stated in this week's email for CSA members, we have cucumbers finally. These, of course, can be turned into pickles. It's a much more approachable project than many people assume. We will be posting some recipes on the website later this week. But before we do, we thought you'd enjoy learning a little more about this amazing process. Follow these links for great tips, history, and pickling ideas.

CNN article

The Science of Cooking

CSA Grains

We have had a lot of interest in the grains portion of the weekly CSA order. We used up the last of the 2010 white milling corn last week, but this years planting looks good! Still a long way to go until harvest because we plant late to avoid the neighbors GMO corn pollen.

Some ideas you might want to try for the wheat and barley grains. Try soaking a cup full for 24 hours then "rinse" at least 3 times during the next 24 hours. This sprouted seed adds a nutty healthy addition to your next loaf of home-made fresh baked bread. The barley makes a great day starting cereal, just add some brown sugar or maple syrup to flavor this high fiber start to your day. Cooked barley makes a perfect bed of grain to bake your next chicken or other meat on.

Both can be added to soups and stews!

Rainbow in the Virga

On the way home tonight we had a rare opportunity to witness a rainbow form in the virga, (rainfall that evaporates before it hits the ground)
The sun was setting, and shining under the cloud layer and formed this beautiful site!!!

Ideas for Grains

I thought I'd share this great link with those of you who are looking for inspiration for the grains offered in your CSA orders. There are recipes and a little about the history of these grains available. Enjoy!


Barley
Wheat
Corn

Summer Stargazing

When it's too hot to do anything outside all day, you'll want to enjoy the fresh air at night. Our family rarely gets the opportunity to rest on hot sunny days (too many weeds to pull!), we still like to enjoy the cooler nights outside. One of our favorite things to do is stargazing.

Les used to get the kids up in the middle of the night to go out and see meteor showers. There was usually some grumbling about getting up or not knowing where we were going. I especially remember my older sister, Heather, being quite frustrated with Dad's mysterious answers to queries about our destination. But once we saw the beautiful sky, it was all worth it.

Now, if you live in the city or around street lights, it might be difficult to see all the stars. However, a quick car ride to your nearest country road will open the sky to you. We are lucky in southern Wisconsin to have less light pollution than say, New York or California. Just be careful around the road and look up!

There are plenty of websites that will explain what you're seeing, but sometimes knowing which constellation is which isn't as much fun as making your own up. Bring black paper and glow in the dark chalk (stick them under a lamp for 2-3 hours right before you head out) if you have kids. They can find a few stars and draw their own constellation. Our family also likes to look at the Milky Way (that bright, long clump across the sky) and for meteors. On or about August 12 is Perseids. It's one of the biggest meteor showers in the northern hemisphere. It last for days and usually has one night in the middle with hundreds of visible meteors. We highly recommend checking it out! It's our family's summer tradition.

What does your family do during the hot weeks in the summer?