Beans and Taters and Peas - Oh My!

IT WAS HOT THIS WEEK!


So what do Pacific Northwest farmers do when it's record heat wave time? Go jump into the wonderfully cold waters of the Puget Sound...Ah, I got so cold I had to go cover up with a blanket! Bliss!




So, the greens aren't so fond of this hot weather, but there are some other veggies that are including...BEANS, BEANS, BEANS oh yeah, AND MORE BEANS!






So, anyways, we picked a lot of beans this week, and well, they are really just getting going. We picked over 60 lbs of beans on Wednesday, and then today - well, I didn't hear the final numbers but it definitely was somewhere around 100 lbs! We will be offering FIVE different types of beans at the markets tomorrow so come on by and enjoy the bounty! And on that note, here is a great recipe for fresh, locally grown beans!

Marinated Rainbow Bean Salad

Ingredients

• 1/4 lb Haricot Vert (french Filet), 1/4 lb Yellow Wax Bean, 1/4 Dragon Langerie bean, 1/4 Purple Bean.
  
• 2 large Red Onion diced
• 1 cup Seasoned Rice Vinegar
• Kosher Salt to taste
• Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes to taste

Directions

Wash and trim beans. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, cover and chill several hours or preferably overnight.

Note:

This is one of those recipes that gets better the longer it marinates!

So, coming to the BAYVIEW ONLY market tomorrow (Coupeville market is closed due to the Arts & Crafts Festival, so all our great loyal Coupeville customers we hope to see you down either at the Bayview market, or you can find a selection of Willowood Farm goodies at the bayleaf Store in Coupeville!) -

From Willowood Farm

- Beans - We have Dragon Langerie (my personal favorite, it means Dragon's Tongue, not Dragon's Underwear as the interns suggested...), Royal Purple, Dwarf French Filet (aka Haricot Vert) and Yellow Wax

- Potatoes - 4 kinds this market (and oh so many more to come...). Mountain Rose, Romanze, Carola and Maris Piper

- Garlic - Also 4 kinds this market...Brown Tempest, Asian Tempest, Red Toch and Persian Star

- Peas! A fabulous late picking. Several kinds including heirloom Dwarf Grey Sugar (featured on Oystercatcher menu)...

- Onions, onions, onions - Red & white cippolinis, Ailsa Crag (a big sweet onion, like Walla Wallas), red Torpedos, Tropeana Tonda...

- Kale & Chard bunches

- Bulb Fennel

- Broccoli

- And more...

From Prairie Bottom Farm:

- HUGE GREEN KOHLRABI

- Beets

- Carrot bunches

- Even more onions

- And more...

Also we will have lots of baby summer squash from our friends Linda and Valerie at Rosehip Farm and Garden...

Hope to see you at market and THANK YOU for reading this and supporting WHIDBEY ISLAND FARMERS!

Regards,

Georgie Smith, Farmer

Willowood Farm of Ebey's Prairie

The Turkey Hoe-Down....

Turkey feet up...
Turkey feet down...
Don't ever put more than one foot down!











Gobble and whistle, shake and preen
Flip your feathers and swing
back around!
And don't ever put more than one foot down!






And that would be the Prairie Turkey Hoe-Down!
So on that note, the turkeys - we have a small flock of 12 - were hanging out enjoying our company and begging for any veggie left-overs out of the packing shed this afternoon. (And for anyone who hasn't been around turkeys, they are amazingly sociable, curious creatures). Lucky for you (and not so lucky for the turkeys), we only tossed the turkeys the trimmings of the following fabulous vegetables...Coming tomorrow, to the Bayview and Coupevile Farmer's Markets:
From Willowood Farm
* 4 KINDS of new taters - Reds, yellows, whites! Yummy!
* Glorious green kohlrabi
* Baby green cabbages
* Quinoa greens (yummy, think spinach like, but with a nuttier flavor)
* Rainbow Chard
* Huge, beautiful bunches of kale
* Rhubarb
* Loads of onions - Torpedo onions, tropeana tonda onions, cippolini onions, ailsa crag onions...
* Broccoli
* Pea Vines - with beautiful little flowers
* Baby bulb fennel - new crop thinnings...
* Gourmet garlic, several kinds!

From Prairie Bottom Farm
* Carrots, carrots and more carrots
* Beets, beets and more beets!
* Fava beans
* Even more onions
* Savoy cabbage
* Roma Green beans (limited quantities)...

You might notice from the list, not a lot of salad greens at the moment! That's what the hot weather does! But, more on their way...Also coming soons - LOADS more fresh green beans, lots of peas, fresh chickpea bunches, more garlic, summer squash, more cabbage, etc, etc, etc...
We hope to see you tomorrow! And for those of you in Coupeville, remember, not market the following weekend (Aug 1-2), due to the Coupeville Arts and Crafts Festival so don't forget to LOAD UP NOW!

Happy local eating!

Georgie Smith, Farmer
Willowood Farm of Ebey's Prairie

A Garlic Tale...

Many of you have asked, so how is it that you get all this garlic. What do you do? How does it happen? So here you go. The tale of how we may have garlic (well, actually this it just the end part of how we may have garlic, it really starts in October with planting time!). But, since this is what we were doing this week, here you go!


Here is the tractor wheel. Driving through the garlic. To loosen the dirt. To pull the garlic. So we may all have garlic...

And here areWillow and Eric, doing the garlic dance - shake the garlic, shake the garlic, SHAKE THE GARLIC. So we may all have garlic...(okay, they are just putting it in the truck, but a dance sounds cooler...).





And this, well this is just a big pile of garlic. (So we may all have garlic...).
And this? This is Georgie, showing off the newest high fashion garlic "up do." No really, this is Georgie hanging garlic. So the garlic can cure. So the garlic doesn't mold. So the garlic keeps 6 months (or more!). So we may all have garlic (for a long time...).







And here? Here is the garlic. The glorious, gorgeous garlic! So, yes, we MAY ALL HAVE GARLIC!







And for those of you who would like to know what we are bringing to market tomorrow (Coupeville and Bayview), of course...Here is the list.
From Willowood Farm
- Garlic (of course, although just a few of the other varieties so far, many are still waiting to be cleaned, hung and cured...)
- New potatoes! A lovely mix of yellows, whites and reds. True new taters (with uncured skins), ever so sweet and tender
- Kales. Two kinds and great recipes!
- Quinoa greens. This is seasonal treat. They can be used as salad greens or lightly cooked. Mild, nutty taste.
- Beet bunches - Golden, Red, Chioggia - you name it we got it!
- Baby carrot bunches
- Cippolini onion bunches
- Tropeana Tonda onions (famed Italian "top shaped" red onion...)
- Rainbow Chard
- Fava Beans (try them grilled, we just did it tonite - yummy!)
- Brocolli
- Rhubarb
- Mesclun and Leaf Lettuce mix - perfect for summer salads!

From Prairie Bottom Farm
- Big Carrot bunches
- Beet bottoms - great for canning
- Green Roma Beans! Wow! So early!
- Scallions
- Spinach
- Sugar Snap Peas
- And more...

We hope to see you tomorrow!
Farmer Georgie
Willowood Farm of Ebey's Prairie

Fava Freedom!

Fava Freedom! We needed this photo for last week with 4th of July and all (kudos to the interns for snapping this great shot)! Doesn't it look like they are little green rockets getting ready to blast off? Off to spread their message of legume love to the world?
This photo does seem apropos for this week however, as the "Sound of Freedom" jets have been in action a lot this week flying their touch and go circles around the farm, as those jet fuel streaks in the photo attest to.
It is an interesting juxtaposition this photo, fava beans being one of our most ancient vegetables, first cultivated around 6000 BC. And still thriving, even amongst the trappings of a modern, fast-paced, jet-fueled world...Hmm...I'm not sure what it all means, since I cooked my brain out in the sun today harvesting garlic, but I'm sure in means something important. If any of you can figure it out, well drop me a note and let me know!
And now, on to the goodies...
Coming to the Bayview and Coupeville farmer's markets tomorrow (and for those of you attending the OH market, we were unable to attend unexpectedly this week, we expect to be back on track next week...):
From Willowood Farm-
* Arugula
* Yukina Savoy Tatsoi
* Spinach
* Beets - Red Detroit, Chioggia and Golden! Big and BEE-YOOTIFUL!
* Kohlrabi
* Kale - baby Tuscan bunches from a new crop! Extra tender and sweet!
* Radicchio and Frisee Endive (Bayview only, cuz you guys have been asking for those lovely bitter greens!)
* Fava Beans! (or course)
* Head Lettuce
* Pea Vines
* Baby Green Cabbages
* Carrots
* Broccoli
* Sugar Snap and Snow Peas
* Walla Walla and Torpedo onions
* Fresh Garlic
And from Prairie Bottom Farm
* Bulb Fennel
* Salad Onions - multiple kinds
* Baby spinach
* Shelling Peas
* Beet Bottoms
* BIG carrot bunches
* Maybe a few green beans - I heard a rumor....????
And more stuff, for sure, but Wilbur (are you reading this Wilbur???? has yet to send me his list tonite so I'm not sure what all he's got but I know he's been busy! Ahem, Wilbur!!!!?????).
For a final note, a reminder that yes, Garlic Harvest Party tomorrow at Willowood Farm. And yes, we are feeling a bit desperate for any and all help! A lot of garlic yet left to clean! If you would like to come, check out the previous posting for info and directions.
Thanks for reading and your support of local, Whidbey Island farms!
Georgie Smith, Farmer
Willowood Farm of Ebey's Prairie

Volunteer Farm Work Party - Let's Harvest Garlic!

Garlic harvest time is always an exciting, busy, and wonderfully smelly time of year on Willowood Farm! I love being able to pull in the driveway and smell garlic 200 yards away from the barn!
If you would like to join the fun, and perhaps learn a bit about the 20+ varieties of gourmet garlic we grow on Willowood Farm, please come join us this Saturday!
The details as follows:
When - Saturday, July 11th. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Stay as long or as little as you like.
Where - Willowood Farm of Ebey's Prairie. 399 S. Ebey Rd. Turn onto Ebey Road off of Hwy 20 just north of the pedestrian bypass/stoplight in Coupeville. Follow Ebey Road, stay o the right when road curves left. Go past Cook Road on right hand side. After Cook Road our driveway is about another 1/3 mile on the right hand side. Long, dirt driveway with hedgerows and old trees. Go past the big white Victorian house and straight up to the huge barn with the big grey roof. We will be working in the barn.
What - Garlic harvest is not overly strenous. We typically have two main tasks, pulling out the garlic out of the field (loosened by a tractor) to bring into the barn, and cleaning, bunching and tying garlic in the barn. We spend lots of time just sitting, talking and cleaning garlic.
What to wear - Clothes you don't mind getting dirty.
F0od - We will provide an assortment of cold drinks. Bring a sack lunch if you plan to stay through lunch time.
Families - We don't mind well-mannered children, as long as an adult is with them to supervise. But please remember this is a working farm, with the dangers (and dirt) that are inherent with it. Supervision is key.
We hope you can make the party! If you think you would like to come, an email would be great just so I know how many folks to expect!
Thanks for reading!
Georgie Smith, Farmer
Willowood Farm of Ebey's Prairie

Let's Go Blow Up Some Lettuce!

Who needs the grocery store when you have Willowood Farm? At least in July (and Aug, September, October and probably November too...)! We have A HUGE selection of food coming tomorrow to the Oak Harbor and Bayview farmer's markets - our biggest and best selection yet for amazing July 4th festivities!

Here's a quick list:
From Willowood
- Head Lettuce, Head Lettuce, Head Lettuce - We have a favorite for everybody! And a great deal tomorrow on HUGE beautiful heads - $2.50 each for 2 for $4!
- Stir-fry bunches. A mix of mustards, kales and spinach. A quick, tasty and healthy meal.
- Kale - Several kinds
- Pea vines - new, tender crop!
- Fava Beans. Loads, and loads of fava beans.
- Walla Walla Onions
- Torpedo Onions
- Sugar Snap Peas
- Kohlrabi - big, purple and tasty!
- Garlic - nice early harvest, juicy and tasty
- Swiss Chard
- Tender baby carrot bunches
- Mesclun Mix
From our friends at Prairie Bottom Farm:
- Bulb Fennel
- New Potatoes
- Beets - several kinds
- Big carrot bunches
- Onions bunches
- Baby leeks
- Spinach
- Rutabagas

Also, a shout out to our friends Joe and Jamie Scott at Oystercatcher Restaurant in Coupeville. Due to July 4th festivities, they will be open for lunch only on Saturday and Sunday and featuring lots of great Willowood Farm on their lunch menus. If you haven't had a chance to try out the Oystercatcher, this is a great time to sample!

Hope to see you tomorrow at market and a safe and happy 4th for everyone!