plants, preservation, cooking

i am getting to know the weeds very well. there is the amaranth and the mallow, which are huge and domineering but come out quite easily, occasionally requiring a 2-handed pull. theres the grassy things, that can be quite annoying as the leaf sometimes separates from the root. there's a vine-y thing with little berries, and then there are all these random little things. and of course there is purslane, my favorite edible weed, although i have not actually harvested any to eat here. the weeds are our project and i come at them with an affectionate vengeance, a dance of squatting, sitting in the furrows, or sometimes getting serious and standing up with the back-bending yanking. everything goes to the sides of the rows and will dry and then become OM for soil. we got through the sweet potatoes, so now those lovely little plants have less competition and more sunlight access. whee!

earlier this week, i got to spend some quality time with the celery, and with the smell of chicken poop. chicken pellet is one of the approved fertilizers, and so i was gifting the celery with some extra nutrients as they head into the final weeks before harvest. it was a routine of grab handful, plunge arm into celery row, sprinkle along for 12 ft, repeat.

and seeds! we must always appreciate the seeds. planting this week was more summer squash, some daikon radishes, some spinach, some white turnips....we also went to the nursery for a couple small basil plants to add to the array.

weather this week has been great, sunny but truly not terribly hot! there's usually a nice breeze at the farm so we dont get too sweaty.

classes have focused on fermentation and preservation: the world of kombucha, feeding the gut, kimchi, vinegar, curing, dehydrating, and today's focus: koji! koji is the mold that makes ferment for soy sauce, miso, gochujang etc and basically it starts on a grain, usually rice, and then makes things ferment and adds umami flavor. im curious to learn more and see how feasible this is for a home project

im getting more comfortable in the kitchen and cooking for folks! i made potstickers with the dough from scratch on tuesday, and today i did a kimchi pancake. of course, it is always my personal project to cook as much vegetable matter as possible, so i have also been making salads every day and roasted eggplant, broccoli, squash, and green tomatoes yesterday!