We picked a bunch of golden midget melons and musk mellons. These are a kind of mini cantaloupe with the same sweet honey like taste. Many were rotten, I would like to go back and collect seeds that fell out.
Doing a serious ground cherry harvest I am tempted a few times to taste the product. Auntie Anne's is the variety of pineapple tomatillo, blue ribbon winner for taste and a heritage variety. Husk cherries have a sweet smell of almond and notes of pineapple, the sweet insides have tiny little seeds that are unobtrusive and a firm but succulent flesh. Their papery shell, when ripe, secures their cleanliness like individually wrapped candies in a rich golden color. We offer each other a million different recipes to add them to. Ground cherry ice cream, beer, smoothies, salsa, Pineapple ground cherry up-side-down cake...
While picking the tomatillos in the same field I was stung by a bee. A bumble bee got stuck in my shirt, they are wildly attracted to the flowers of the tomatillos. I tried vigorously to shake her out, and when I could not she finally decided to resort to a last resort defense. The initial sting was nothing more than a tiny prick but the toxins injected through the throbbing stinger coursed through my bloodstream. I immediately got a plantain poultice on the site. Chew up plantain and smear on the affected area. Although I was stung on my back and thus impossible for me to see, the poultice helped greatly. Fingers crossed there is no further reaction.
We harvested basil that had bolted with purple flowers, which Meg had us cut off, I protested but the boss always wins. I figured the CSA members would enjoy the flowers, oh well.
After lunch Bridget, Meg, and I are harvesting tomatoes, interesting tomatoes that I have never seen in person. The Striped German is a very large heirloom tomato that goes from red on the bottom yellow in the middle and green on top. I have not had the chance to taste it but will soon I am sure. The second type of tomato we harvested was the Indigo Rose, a saladette. Where the sun hits the tomato directly it is a dark purple that looks almost black. They are green like most tomatoes when unripe, and then turn red. There is a Waspakinnian Peach tomato which is yellow and soft in appearance, have not tasted this one yet either.
Not sure where the regular helpers are, but Bridget and I spend the rest of the afternoon in the basement of the barn processing the days harvest. Putting cherry tomatoes in pint cartons, washing and counting peppers and basil, all the while listening to BOB FM, and talking about a farmer's market publicity stunt. At our booth we would tell people that the produce is not for eating, just for still life painting, the colors are very appealing after all.
I just bottled the nut brown beer in the basement that was left by the three male interns before me; a.k.a. the little brothers. This beer is weak in a first tasting before bottling. It is an interesting process that as the end result of months of me not waiting was easy to accomplish. A blowout earlier in the process let air enter the glass cask, commonly called a carboy. A fine white mold had grown on top, Fred assures me there is nothing to worry about. First some bottles need washing. Kristen helps me by scrubbing them while I blast them with hot water. Second a activation or priming sugar simple syrup is created and added to the beer before bottling. This sugar will reactivate the yeast creating the CO2 for carbonation. Our third move is to siphon from the moldy jug into another jug leaving the mold behind. Now I simply siphon the beer into the bottles and cap, labeling each one as "NB" for nut brown. Now that the carboy is empty I may be able to brew my own alcoholic beverage. I also get to enjoy the fruits of others labor.
Doing a serious ground cherry harvest I am tempted a few times to taste the product. Auntie Anne's is the variety of pineapple tomatillo, blue ribbon winner for taste and a heritage variety. Husk cherries have a sweet smell of almond and notes of pineapple, the sweet insides have tiny little seeds that are unobtrusive and a firm but succulent flesh. Their papery shell, when ripe, secures their cleanliness like individually wrapped candies in a rich golden color. We offer each other a million different recipes to add them to. Ground cherry ice cream, beer, smoothies, salsa, Pineapple ground cherry up-side-down cake...
While picking the tomatillos in the same field I was stung by a bee. A bumble bee got stuck in my shirt, they are wildly attracted to the flowers of the tomatillos. I tried vigorously to shake her out, and when I could not she finally decided to resort to a last resort defense. The initial sting was nothing more than a tiny prick but the toxins injected through the throbbing stinger coursed through my bloodstream. I immediately got a plantain poultice on the site. Chew up plantain and smear on the affected area. Although I was stung on my back and thus impossible for me to see, the poultice helped greatly. Fingers crossed there is no further reaction.
We harvested basil that had bolted with purple flowers, which Meg had us cut off, I protested but the boss always wins. I figured the CSA members would enjoy the flowers, oh well.
After lunch Bridget, Meg, and I are harvesting tomatoes, interesting tomatoes that I have never seen in person. The Striped German is a very large heirloom tomato that goes from red on the bottom yellow in the middle and green on top. I have not had the chance to taste it but will soon I am sure. The second type of tomato we harvested was the Indigo Rose, a saladette. Where the sun hits the tomato directly it is a dark purple that looks almost black. They are green like most tomatoes when unripe, and then turn red. There is a Waspakinnian Peach tomato which is yellow and soft in appearance, have not tasted this one yet either.
Not sure where the regular helpers are, but Bridget and I spend the rest of the afternoon in the basement of the barn processing the days harvest. Putting cherry tomatoes in pint cartons, washing and counting peppers and basil, all the while listening to BOB FM, and talking about a farmer's market publicity stunt. At our booth we would tell people that the produce is not for eating, just for still life painting, the colors are very appealing after all.
I just bottled the nut brown beer in the basement that was left by the three male interns before me; a.k.a. the little brothers. This beer is weak in a first tasting before bottling. It is an interesting process that as the end result of months of me not waiting was easy to accomplish. A blowout earlier in the process let air enter the glass cask, commonly called a carboy. A fine white mold had grown on top, Fred assures me there is nothing to worry about. First some bottles need washing. Kristen helps me by scrubbing them while I blast them with hot water. Second a activation or priming sugar simple syrup is created and added to the beer before bottling. This sugar will reactivate the yeast creating the CO2 for carbonation. Our third move is to siphon from the moldy jug into another jug leaving the mold behind. Now I simply siphon the beer into the bottles and cap, labeling each one as "NB" for nut brown. Now that the carboy is empty I may be able to brew my own alcoholic beverage. I also get to enjoy the fruits of others labor.
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