Garlic scapes! Garlic scapes! Garlic scapes!

DON'T FORGET TO GET YOUR SLOW FOOD WHIDBEY TICKETS!  Today is the last day to pick up tickets for this great event coming up tomorrow, Sunday June 5th.  A great selection of Whidbey chefs paired with Whidbey farms cooking up a fabulous selection of "tastings" of the best of Whidbey.  Local beer and wine tasting as well!  $30 a person.  We will tickets available for sale at our booths at the Bayview and Coupeville farmer's markets...

And now back to our scheduled topic...
Garlic Scapes!

So, why do we love you, oh garlic scapes?  Let me list the ways:
1.  Because you taste like garlic!
2.  Because you go so well with abundance of greens, greens and more greens which mostly dominate our spring veggie selection and while we love our greens, it's also nice to have something that is not leaf-like.
3.  Because you are great to barbeque!
4.  Because you are a silly, funny shape that we like to wear as jewelry on our wrists and hang from our earlobes (okay, that is a bit dopey.  But hey, when you work in a veggie field all day things can get a bit goofy).
5. Because you are good raw (chopped in salads!), good pureed (garlic scape pesto!), good barbequed, good braised, good pickled!!!

Great teething ring for babies too!

6.  Because the arrival of garlic scapes means soon...garlic!
Really, as far as veggies go there isn't anything NOT to love about garlic scapes.  I suppose, if you aren't fond of garlic perhaps...but really, if you aren't fond of garlic seriously WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?  (Just kidding, mostly...).

In China, my brother (who has spent lots of time living over there, enough to marry a lovely Chinese girl!) says that garlic scapes are considered a seasonal specialty and are one of the few veggies that, relatively speaking, are almost "expensive" in Chinese markets.  That's because the Chinese realize what most American's are just starting to figure out - not only are garlic scapes super-awesome, but...they only get them once a year.  One hard-necked garlic plant makes just one precious garlic scape, and it takes about a year to grow garlic so...get the scapes while they can!

Farmer Georgie, taking a "Scape Break" (notice the dirty fingers...)

Luckily, we grow a nice range of early and later-maturing garlic plants. so our season is as extended as possible on them.  We start picking them in late May (we had a few last weekend) and then we will usually be finished picking them by the first of July.  The other nice thing about garlic scapes is they are one of those veggies (like cabbage) which will store in great shape in your fridge for weeks.  So if you don't eat them right away - don't worry, you've got plenty of time.
We do try and pickle up a batch of them every year because there is nothing as cool as having a winter Anti-pasto plate with a curly, tasty garlic scape on it!  (Or, my husband is rather fond of Bloody Mary's with a pickled garlic scape stirrer!).
 So...hope to see you today at the farmer's markets and we will show you some of our lovely, wonderful, precious garlic scapes!
 Along with scapes, we will be bringing to market today:
From Willowood Farm:
* Garlic Scapes
* Garlic Greens (immature garlic plants, like scallions only garlicky)
* Head Lettuce
* Arugula
* Radishes
* Dry Beans
* Kale
From Prairie Bottom Farm:
* Red Spinach
* Green Spinach
* Herbs
* Stir-fry mix
* Lettuce Mix
From Ebey Road Farm:
* Emmer
Hope to see you at market!
Farmer Georgie
Willowood Farm

OMG! Look what's under the reemay...

First off - my mother is doing much better!  She's still got a long road of rehab and bad hospital food in front of her, I'm afraid, but she is on the road to recovery now.  So thanks for much for all the kind thoughts, prayers, words and food!  There is certainly no better place to live than a small town when a crisis happens and I'm eternally grateful to my community here on Whidbey...
But now, back to the regularly scheduled program.  Growing veggies!
We had one of those OMG! moments yesterday when we pulled back the reemay.  What is reemay, you might ask?  Well, it is a cheesecloth like material which is booth the boon and bane of every small, organic farmer (and especially their interns!).  It's basically a blanket that allows light and water to move through, that you cover your crops with because you hope it's pluses will outweigh it's minuses.

It's pluses - it's warms the soil encouraging seeds to germinate and plants to grow, it keeps bugs from eating precious crops, it protects crops from harsh winds or pounding weather. 
It's minuses - it's warms the soil encouraging WEEDS to germinate and plants to grow, it likes to go wherever it wants when it's windy (which is like every other day around here), it's a pain in the rear to move around (especially when it's windy!).  And the biggest minus of all - it encourages "reemay blindness."  I.e., hmm..."those plants under the reemay are just fine, don't need to be weeded, aren't ready to be harvested yet,"etc, etc, etc... 
Well yesterday, we uncovered a bunch of rows and discovered - OMG!  We had some food that needed to be harvested RIGHT NOW! So...that's what we did.  And ended up with well, quite a bit more food than we thought we had.  Which we figure, you won't think is a bad thing, right?
So, with that, here is the abundance of things we are bringing to market today, rain or shine...
From Willowood Farm:
* Mesclun - lots of it!
* Spinach - lovely mix of green and red spinach
* Radishes - Cherry Belle and French Breakfast
* Braising greens - one lb bags this week and a great mix of turnip greens, mustards and baby pac choi
* Baby Pac Choi bunches
* Tatoi bunches
* Ruby Streaks mizuna bunches
* Carrot bunches
* Head lettuce
* Garlic greens
* Potato bags
* Dry Beans - Cannelini, Peregions, Black Cocos and Mixed Beans
From our farmer friends Prairie Bottom Farm:
* Egyptian Walking Onions
* Chives
* Scallions
* Garlic Greens
* Dry Beans
* Sara's famous Pie! (Coupeville only).
And from Ebey Road Farm:
Their fabulous Emmer!
So, while it is raining right now I can see light skies in the distance which means (fingers crossed) we will hopefully have a rain free market.  But even so...We will be there, wet or dry, with loads of veggies for your delight!
Hope to see you at market today...
Farmer Georgie
Willowood Farm of Ebey's Prairie

Peas and Beans paradise!

Nico - Picking her 5th bin of English Shelling Peas!  Go Nico!

It's a legume lovers paradise on the farm right now!  Yesterday we (or actually Nico, the pea picker extraordinaire...) picked 115 lbs of English Shelling Peas!  Plus over 100 lbs of assorted green beans!

Wowser! 

So what do we do with so many peas and beans!  Eat them!  Can them!  Freeze them!  Pickle them! 

Peas and beans are one of the "staples" of any summer garden, although I would like to point out that most places can't grow decent peas in late August!  That's thanks to our cool Pacific Northwest weather which, while it may be the bane of sunbathers, kind work in your favor in regards to cool weather loving veggies.

If you haven't had English Shelling Peas, well, they are one of the things that garden memories are made of.  There is just about nothing as good as eating a sweet and tender freshly shelled pea at the perfection of ripeness.  And having a hard time getting your kids to eat veggies?  Well, shelling peas are just about 100 percent foolproof for kid fascination.  First, they are like a little present.  They get to open them!  Then, they are a math problem.  Count how many peas!  Then...they are a tasty treat.  Umm...sweet!  It's not wonder kids (and parent's) love them.
If you don't get around to just eating fresh all your shelling peas...well, shelling peas are fabulous frozen.  Just a quick blanch in boiling water and then pop them in some freezer bags and come December and January - all the sweet essence of summer stored in your freezer.

As for beans...well, who could go wrong with beans?  We picked four kinds - all our favorites.  The gorgeous Purple Podded, the sexy Yellow Wax, the diminutive Dwarf Haricot Vert, the outrageous Dragon Langerie.  We love them all! Come check them out along with our recipes for pickling and four bean salads!

And of course, we have much more than peas and beans at the market today.  Things are really growing right now...So come check out the bounty at Bayview and Coupeville markets.

From Willowood (in addition to a couple 100 lbs of peas and beans...):
- Potatoes!  Multiple kinds including fingerlings, Maris Pipers, Romanze, Carola and Mountain Rose!
- Garlic! Garlic! Garlic!
- Chard
- Kale
- Collards
- Onions - three kinds!  Torpedoes, Ailsa Crag (big sweet onion) and fancy-schmancy cippolinis!
- Leek bunches!
- Summer zucchinis
- Cabbage!

From our friends at Prairie Bottom Farm
- Tromboncino summer squash
- Kohlrabi (Coupeville only)
- Cooking onions
- More potatoes and garlic
- Scallions
- Lettuce mix
- Beets
- Carrots!

Turkeys in the beans!  Naughty Turkeys!

And finally, a gratuitous Turkey photo!
See you at market!
Farmer Georgie
Willowood Farm of Ebey's Prairie

Maybe rain? Please, please, please....

Yummm....coffee....
Definitely a morning for coffee. It looks like it might rain! The National Weather Report says a 50% chance! Now, I know that means that many of you may not venture out to market today (wimps!), but I'd gladly trade that for a chance to dampen down the dust bowl we currently have on the farm.
It is DRY! And DUSTY! I just cleaned my truck last week (I know, a rare occurrence) but it already has at least an 1/8 inch of dust on it again - inside and out!
Watering (and voracious bugs) are probably the two biggest challenges to summer time gardening. We spend about 1/2 of our time on the farm these days moving water, fixing water, thinking about water....no water - no crops!
I definitely feel for those farmers in California and other "prolonged drought-stricken" regions. Some of those places, I just don't know how they will be able to keep farming.
Here on the prairie, we get the "seasonal drought." Always July-August-September is pretty darn dry. In fact, a lot of my neighboring farmers depend on it to ripen their grain crops and cure their hay. Some years, (like last year), our summertime drought starts in May and doesn't end til mid October. That sucks. This year was much better - and while many of your were complaining about the endless rain of the spring, I was happy - more rain in spring means my crops get better established and I don't have to start watering on the first of May!
So...here's to a cloudy and gray sky and hopes that 50% chance of rain delivers rather than just teases!
And coming to the Bayview and Coupeville markets today....
(P.S. Coupeville folks - NO farmer's market next weekend during Arts&Crafts festival so make sure to stock up this week!).
From Willowood Farm
- Golden and Chioggia beet bunches
- Fava beans (last chance on favas so get them while you can!)
- Onions galore - torpedo onions (awesome grilled) and Ailsa Crag (sweet onion)
- Lots of chard!
- Kale - 3 kinds
- Collards!
- Loads of potatoes
- Plenty of garlic!
- And more...
From our friends at Prairie Bottom Farm
- Baby carrot bunches
- Leaf lettuce mix
- Giant beet bottoms
- Arugula bunches
- leeks
- More onions
And more...
See you at market!
Farmer Georgie
Willowood Farm of Ebey's Prairie

Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain!

"Oh, the weather outside is frightful, and Farmer Georgie is feeling delightful...
Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain."
Yes folks, 30 some days of record no rainfall and farmers start getting a little crazy. Tourists might like all that sunshine, but farmers, ESPECIALLY PAC NW FARMERS, well we count on a few grey and wet days, at least in the spring! Hearing that rain start last night was beautiful music to my ears! It's still not enough, and I've got sprinklers going 24-7 in the bean patch (about 1/3 of my crop didn't come up, just sitting in the soil where I planted, waiting for a little moisture!). But it's a start!
So, we'll hope for a nice sunny and pleasant day for market tomorrow, but if it is raining???? We won't too sad and rain, or shine, we'll be out selling food no matter what because its picked, packed and ready to go!
So coming tomorrow, rain or shine to the Bayview and Coupeville farmer's markets -
Willowood Farm
- MIXED NEW POTATOES!!!! These are the true new taters (i.e., so tender, their skin is not cured). Amazingly sweet.
- Head lettuce (some more huge ones, and the first of some gorgeous new plantings)
- Broccoli
- Swiss Chard
- Kale - several kinds
- Salad Turnips - red and white
- Chioggia beet thinnings
- Huge kohlrabi
- Walla Walla Salad Onions
- Red torpedo onions with greens
- Fresh turban type garlic
- Garlic scapes (see recipe below)
- Green spinach bunches

From Prairie Bottom Farm
- Red beets w/ greens
- Carrot bunches
- Bulb fennel
- Green onions
- Some peas!
- Head lettuce
- Red Chard
- And more that I'm forgetting...

Also, I wanted to list the pickled garlic scape recipe, courtesy of Chef Joe Scott at the Oystercatcher in Coupeville. Everyone RAVES about this recipe so here goes (and we are offering a great quantity deal on scapes tomorrow!):



Quick Garlic Scape Pickles
• Garlic scapes, however many you want to pickle, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• Champagne vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
• Rice Vinegar
• Dash of salt
• Sugar to taste
• Pinch of whole fennel seed
You will need equal parts of the vinegar, how much depends on how much you are going to pickle. Chop garlic and pack clean mason jars. Boil equal parts of both vinegars, add sugar and salt to taste. Sugar should balance the acidity of the vinegar. How sweet – versus tart – you make it is a personal preference depending on how you like your pickles. When boiling, pour over scapes. Add a pinch of whole fennel seed. Seal lid. These pickles are ready in 4 hours. If you prefer to keep the scape whole (which gives you a very cool shape on a plate), you should plan to let the pickles sit for at least a week (or more) so they absorb the pickling juices. By chopping the scapes you provide more surface area to absorb the pickling juices quickly.





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Wheelbarrows of Lettuce!

It's....MARKET TIME! And we sure hope you have a hunkering for salad fixings....
Things gotta a little bit crazy this week at Willowood Farm! With all the unseasonally hot weather all our head lettuce came on QUICKLY especially the fabulous heirloom baby butterheads! We are offering a "Red Wheelbarrow Special!", baby butterheads for only $1.50 or 3 for $3!
Check them out at the Coupeville and Bayview markets tomorrow. Along with a lot of other great, organically grown veggies including:
* Tuscan Kale
* Swiss Chard
* Orach (aka Mountain Spinach)
* Collards
* Leaf Lettuce Mix
* Mesclun
* Lots more head lettuce
* Garlic Scapes
And from Wilbur and Julieanna at Prairie Bottom Farm:
* Semi-Savoy Spinach
* Red Bordeaux Spinach
* Baby Carrots
*Beet Bunches
*Baby Fennel
*Green Onions and probably lots more we are forgetting!
Don't forget to look for the AWESOME tractor and trailer booth that we are now happy to call home at the Coupeville market....Wilbur (photo above - what a ham!), Julieanna and Elizabeth will be "working the trailer." Georgie and Willow will be holding down the tent at Bayview. We sure hope to see you there!
And some more photos...

Can we say, GARLIC SCAPES??? FIELDS OF LETTUCE

A beautiful Market Day Saturday!

We are predicted to have another GORGEOUS day tomorrow so we hope to see you all at the Bayview and Coupeville markets! It's a wee bit windy on the prairie at the moment (blowing I would guess, a steady 20 mph with higher gusts...) but we got all the food picked and out before the little gale picked up late this afternoon.
And exciting news for those of you attending the Coupeville market - Wilbur Purdue (who partners with Willowood Farm in the market booth with produce from his farm, Prairie Bottom), is starting tomorrow at the Coupeville market with his new tractor and wagon market booth set-up! We will be loading up our produce from the packing shed at Willowood early tomorrow morn and Wilbur will drive the trailer to market with his 1950s era cultivator tractor (a slightly newer model than mine)! How cool is that? Let us know what you think but we are pretty excited (and I can't wait til I can finally get a team of drafthorses and then pull a wagon to market with them! A farmer has to dream...).
Anyways, fresh produce coming to market tomorrow -
- LOADS OF LETTUCE! Plan a salad. We have leaf lettuce mix and a HUGE selection of gorgeous head lettuce.
- Kohlrabi! Finally, I've been promising it for 2 weeks! Beautiful and tasty!
- Radishes - multiple colors!
- Kale
- Collards
- Spinach
- Walking Onions
- Shallot thinnings
- Pea vines
- Mountain spinach bunches (a cool new green, I'll bring recipes)
- Baby, loose leaf swiss chard
- Baby arugula (that was unfortunately, hit hard by flea beetles. Still darn tasty and we'll be doing half-off!
- Garlic scapes
- Herbs
And much more I'm forgetting! Hope to see you there!

Off to Market!

Hello All! I'm going to try posting my "market fresh" listing on my new blog and then emailing it to the Willowood Farm newsletter recipients. Let me know how this works (or doesn't)...
Coming TOMORROW to the Coupeville and Bayview farmer's markets:

* Head Lettuce - 8 varieties tomorrow! Bronze Mignonette and Amish Speckled, both heirloom baby butterheads; Antares, Flashy Butter Oak, Blushed Butter Oak and Royal Oakleaf - all great base for a wicked good salad; Cardinale, one of my favorites crunchy with a bite!; and Petite Rouge, the ever beautiful rumply, glossy red romaine.
* Mesclun Mix - spicy and beautiful
* Arugula!!!! Come quick it goes fast...
* Spinach - 2 kinds both from Prairie Bottom Farm. Green semi-savoy and the ever cool Red Bordeaux.
* Mustard Green bunches - Red Giant (watch out, it's hot!), Yukina Savoy Tatsoi and Pink Lettucey
* Kale - Tuscan and White Russian
* Collards
* Pea Vines
* Radishes - several flavors!
* Baby Leeks - who doesn't like them?
* Baby Walla Walla Salad Onions - EVERYBODY likes them!
* Egyptian Walking Onions and Shallot thinnings from Prairie Bottom Farm

We can't wait to see you there! Farmer Georgie will be holding down the fort (tent) at the Bayview Farmer's Market. Wilbur, Julianna (of Prairie Bottom Farm) and Willowood Farm intern Elizabeth will be taking care of business in Coupeville. Also, don't forget, tomorrow is the always cool Coupeville Water Festival so check out all the fun activities and great canoe racing!

Happy eating!
Farmer Georgie
Willowood Farm of Ebey's Prairie