We got a lot of work done in the hoophouse this week. We prepared new beds for planting, raked up the compost from the center aisle into the beds, used scrap lumber to hold it in place, and mulched the walking aisle with hay. We're planning to try some season extension in there. We set out kale seedlings and a flat of lettuce and one of radicchio.
The Sunday crew worked on cleaning up in the barn -- sent a large truckload of several-year-old hay bales to Peter's compost operation; swept out; sorted supplies and organized on pallets; moved a pile of old windows and other things of Bob's so they were more organized and out of the way; moved carefully folded and tied drip lines from the fields to inside since it looked like they were intended to be saved, and stored those as well. It is easier to walk around in there now.

CAROLINE'S CORNER:

Will it ever stop raining? The chronic wetness of this season just seems to go on and on! Our work groups have frequently collided with poor field conditions for many of the jobs we have needed to get done. Of course, there is always something useful to do, but it is hard to have priorities rained out, especially when the few perfect, sunny days fall on dates without work groups. Unlike all of us, the weeds work every day, seeming thriving in even the worst weather, shooting up in young plantings and new beds that had been ready for seeding. So then, we patiently weed all over again, and hope to plant before the next storm comes.

The heavy downpours have often left soggy conditions everywhere and standing water in the lower part of the Long Field. When the land is that saturated, water fills all the spaces between soil particles, leaving no air spaces in the root zone, where it could be taken up by plant cells. This seems to have had the most deleterious effect on our cucurbits (squash, cucumber, melon, pumpkin), none of which have done very well this summer. It must be that this type of plant has particularly sensitive roots that suffer damage readily in overly wet conditions. Some other crops, such as onions and leeks, and amazingly, eggplants, have done quite well despite the conditions. Even carrots have not been too bad, and spring lettuces did well until we ran into the heat of July.

Every year is different and has its own collection of successes and failures. No matter what weather we are dealt, there is always some crop that fails to do well, while others thrive. This year there have been more than just a few, but we have still managed to have quite a bit to eat! It does appear that we can expect more of this kind of tropical weather in the future. The farm staff will be learning right along with all of you what we need to do differently to maximize our successes.

 

Humble Home-Cooked Beans

Prep Time:
45 min
Inactive Prep Time:
12 hr 0 min
Cook Time:
1 hr 15 min
Level:
Intermediate
Serves:
4 servings

My first thought when I saw these beans on a menu in Italy was "Beans on toast?" But then I tasted them. I felt pretty humbled that such a simple dish had been made to taste so gorgeous. Once you've learned how to season and cook them in the right way, you can apply the method to cannellini beans, lima beans, cranberry beans, haricots verts, lentils, even chickpeas. If you've grown your own beans, good on ya! Fresh beans will take about 45 minutes to cook, but you're more likely to get dried beans as they're cheap, and very reliable to cook. However, they will need soaking for at least 12 hours.

Ingredients
For the beans:
• 11 ounces dried cranberry or cannellini beans, soaked in cold water for at least 12 hours
• 3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• A few sprigs fresh thyme
• A sprig fresh rosemary
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 stick celery, trimmed
• 1 small potato, peeled and halved
• 2 cherry tomatoes
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Red wine vinegar
• A few sprigs fresh at-leaf parsley, chopped
• 4 slices sourdough bread
•
For the Scallops:
• 12 scallops
• 12 slices pancetta
Skewers or fresh rosemary sprigs
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Lemons

Directions
Drain the soaked beans, then give them a good wash. Place them in a deep pot and cover them with cold water. Throw in the garlic, herb sprigs, bay leaves, celery stick, potato and tomatoes. Place the beans on the heat and slowly bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and simmer very gently for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on whether you're using fresh or dried, until soft and cooked nicely. Skim if necessary, topping up with boiling water from the kettle if you need to.

When the beans are cooked, drain them in a colander, reserving enough of the cooking water to cover them halfway up when put back in the pot. Remove the garlic, herbs, celery, potato and tomatoes from the beans. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins and pinch the skin off the tomatoes. Put the garlic, tomatoes and potato onto a plate, mash them with a fork and stir back into the beans. Season well with salt and pepper, and pour in 3 generous glugs of extra-virgin olive oil and a few splashes of vinegar. Stir in the parsley and serve on some toasted sourdough bread.

Beans with scallops and pancetta:
Take up to 3 scallops and wrap a slice of pancetta round each. Thread them onto a skewer or a sturdy sprig of fresh rosemary and fry them on each side in a little olive oil until golden. Spoon the delicious warm home-cooked beans onto your plate and top with the scallops. Serve with a squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and any juices from the pan. Brilliant!

Cranberry Bean Salad with Basil, Mint and Feta

This salad is simple and forgiving: if you prefer to use other herbs you have on hand, please do. If you'd rather leave out the feta, no problem. Also, if you have trouble finding fresh Borlotti Beans, dried varieties are easy to come by year-round. Just soak them overnight and drain before using.

Serves: 4 as a small side dish

Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound fresh cranberry beans, shelled (will yield 1 1/4 cups of actual beans)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup mild feta cheese, crumbled

Directions
Over medium-low heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and add the garlic. Stir until fragrant, about a minute. Add beans and stir until they're just coated in oil. Cover the beans with about 2 inches of water and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Simmer, covered, until beans are soft but are not losing their shape, about 30 minutes. Remove pot from heat, and use a slotted spoon to transfer beans into medium bowl. Allow to cool completely. Reserve 2 tsps of the cooking water.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, mustard and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Add the dressing to the beans and gently stir to combine.
Add 2 teaspoons of the cooking liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the basil, mint and feta and allow the salad to stand for twenty minutes. Serve at room temperature.